Peace's End
by tfa1
Summary: 700 years after FF7, an evil empire controls the world, a man has forgotten who he is, and the entire world is about to enter a crisis. Sounds familiar? History is repeating itself, but not all is as it seems. Advent Children spoilers in chapter 14.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy 7 and all is associated characters, location, etc… are property of Square Enix.

**Author's Note**: Revision! Revision! After a great deal of down-time I've finally rewritten my mediocre first chapter. (Hopefully now it doesn't seem so… amateur.) Anyways, to those who have just started reading my tale, allow me to say 'Welcome.' The basic premise of my story is that, 700 years after Advent Children, history is repeating itself as the world is endangered once again. Though the plotline is somewhat similar to the original game's own, you have my assurances that there are (many) plot twists.

**Peace's End**

**By tfa1**

Chapter 1: A State of Despair

Peace never lasts…

To deny this fact is folly. Happiness is temporary; bliss impermanent. Life ends, civilizations peter out, and even the Sun itself is scheduled to ride the supernova express into oblivion. All things end. All things _will_ end. 'Happily ever afters' exist only in fairy tales.

And so it should come as no surprise that, 700 years after the defeat of Sephiroth, the Planet is once again in turmoil. From the ashes of peace, a new state of despair has arisen. The ancient heroes, slayers of Sephiroth, lay dead at the hands of time itself; and in their absence a new dystopia has been birthed upon the world: the savage and nameless Empire.

Led by a cruel, armoured Emperor, the Empire has spread to all corners of the globe, dragging misery and despair in its wake. Only the small island nation of Wutai, fuelled by respectable morale, potent magic, and little else, has manage to stave off the assault of the many, many Imperial forces sent against them. But the island's armies are limited, and the Empire boasts control of nearly the entire world population. It is only a matter of time before even Wutai falls under the harsh Imperial rule.

And harsh it is. One need only observe the Western Continent as evidence, where the lands lay barren, dry, and in ruin. All plant-life there has died, having been deprived of the sunlight needed to survive. The Empire's greatest creation – a gigantic dome-like structure erected over the entire continent – produces massive amounts of solar power at the expense of all who dwell beneath it. Called the "Sky," this humungous power plant is definitively both the Western Continent's greatest shield and its greatest source of misery. Only carnivores thrive in the West, beneath the Sky.

But beneath this perverse power plant – this despicable dome – the Planet's only hope resides…

- - -

Out on the plains of the Western Continent, unassuming and unnoticed, a small brown tent rested atop the earth. Within its fabric walls, crates and crates of stuff were stashed; with blueprints strewn about the place as carelessly as if they were autumn leaves. And among those crates and blueprints there lay a man…

A bald man…

A bald, groggy man…

A bald, groggy man with no memory of who he was, where he was, or why he was there…

He opened his eyes slowly, waking from unconsciousness. Everything was blurry; memory included. Who was he? Where was his hair? Why was he wearing plain, ugly, grey clothes befitting of an escaped convict? And above all, why was there a black cat standing at the tent door staring at him intently?

It was a strange black cat, with a mouth as wide as its face. The creepy grin formed on its face made the man feel uneasy, almost fearful. It stood on two legs, waddling about as if it owned the place – which was strange enough in itself because, as the man believed, cats didn't own tents. Nor did they walk on two legs. Nor did they talk with their oversized mouths.

"My, what a large mouth you have…," the man spouted in a half-daze.

"Well, it seems you're finally awake!" the cat replied, ignoring the man's comment. "It's good to see you haven't died, which is an all-too-common occurrence in these parts."

Some semblance of the man's intellect returned to him. "Wait a minute," he realized, "cats can't talk!"

"No need to worry," responded the cat, opening a hatch in the back of his head to reveal whirling gears and gizmos. "I'm a robot. Name's Smith."

"Uhhh… I'm…," the man choked as he searched the tent for signs of his own name, which still refused to be remembered. He settled on the first word he came across, scrawled across one of the blueprints on his left. "I'm Nimbus."

Smith the Cat eyed him quizzically. "Nimbus, eh? That's an odd name."

"What kind of name is Smith for a cat?" retorted 'Nimbus.'

"Would you prefer Fluffles, or perhaps Mr. Whiskerbottom?"

The bald man suppressed a chuckle. "Mr. Whiskerbottom would fit nicely in my opinion."

The cat was not amused. "It's 'RR-M666' to those who care about precision, 'Smith' to those who don't. Call me Mr. Whiskerbottom and I'll leave ya out in the wasteland for the wolves. Come to think of it, what were you doing out there anyway?"

"Taking a stroll?"

Smith opened the tent's 'door,' revealing what appeared to be a desolate desert in the middle of night. Dirt danced upon the air, kicked up by the strong winds that billowed across the rolling flats.

Nimbus cleared his throat, trying to make the lie stick. "Tough stuff – real character building. There's nothing quite like taking a midnight stroll in Hell."

"The plate that blankets our continent only gives the illusion of night. It's 3 in the afternoon." Nimbus' bluff had been called. "Trust me, my friend," the black cat explained, "I can read people like books, and it seems to me that either you're lying to me to hide who you are, or you don't even know who you are. Considering I've been hospitable enough to let you rest in my tent, I hope it's the latter."

The man formerly known as Nimbus nodded, "It is."

The cat's creepily wide grin returned, sending the bald man into another fit of uneasiness. "Excellent. Then I guess we both have something to offer each other."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy 7 and all its associated characters, locations, etc… are property of Square Enix.

**Author's Note**: Revision! I've made the dialogue between Smith and Nimbus more realistic and explanatory, and toned down what I perceived to be Taefis' Mary-Sueness. Enjoy!

**Peace's End**

**By tfa1**

Chapter 2: The Hunter of Gongaga

"I don't understand…," Nimbus squeaked.

"It's very simple, really," Smith divulged, "I have some… issues with the current Imperial regime that need resolving. In return for your help, I'll help you rediscover your identity. Do we have a deal?"

"What kind of help do you need, exactly? I'm guessing it involves something… dangerous."

The cat continued to smile. "Indeed, it does. I trust you are already familiar with this?" he asked, holding up a blueprint that read: 'NIMBUS AIR FORCE BASE' – the source of the man's makeshift name. Nimbus nodded. "This is a blueprint of a high-security Imperial centre – one which, I'm sure you could imagine, is top secret. I have many others like it. I need you to help me infiltrate and take down these centres, in addition to dealing with humans."

The bald man went dumbstruck at the words 'top secret.' "How did you get those?" he queried.

"That matter is irrelevant. I have them and that's what counts. If I were you I'd be more concerned with how we're going to locate your missing identity. Until then, however, I think Nimbus will make a good placeholder name. If I'm correct your real one should be stored in some Imperial database – such as the one in Stratus Palace. Brainwashing isn't that rare an occurrence in Imperial HQ, if you catch my drift."

"It's an easy drift to catch, in my opinion."

"So, what'd ya say?" goaded the robot. "Deal or no deal?"

To Nimbus, this robotic cat seemed awfully shifty, but he had no one else to trust; no one else to turn to. And so without a second thought, he replied, "Let's get started."

- - -

Far away, in the small town of Gongaga, life was hard. The surrounding forest, which had flourished in ancient times, was now a maze of death. Darkness wrapped itself around each barren trunk, and the whispers of predators mingled with the piercing sound of each victim's scream.

But the screams did not bother the people of Gongaga. They had been alive long enough to know that whatever hell lay beyond death could be no worse than the one they already lived in. They welcomed death, envied the dead, and became the most fearless, and feared, hunters in the world.

Feared like Taefis Locke…

She was one of Gongaga's hunters: strong, fast, and agile. Those who weren't these things didn't live long. Conditioned by their own exercises, the Gongagans were easily the best hunters on the continent. Like her comrades, Taefis was deadly fast and could punch the lights out of any man. Like all Gongagans, she had lost loved ones, and kept her pain to herself.

A brown-haired twenty-year-old reclusive orphan, Taefis Locke was a loner, and in the huge amounts of time she had to spare she perfected her craft. She did her best to ensure few in the village went hungry. But as time wore on food sources began to dwindle, and Taefis was left with the time to ponder a question that had bothered her since she was a small child.

How did her parents die?

No one would tell her; not even her foster father, Zang. Continually she questioned him and each time she did, he told her the same thing.

"You are not ready to know the truth," he'd say, "and I'd suggest you don't go searching for it, either. There's a reason why you don't remember. You've suppressed that memory, for obvious reasons, so please do not try to find what you've hidden away. Trust me, it will destroy you."

But like any normal youth, Taefis didn't listen. She made her way towards New Corel, capital city of the Empire. There she hoped to find the answers that her hometown kept secret.

- - -

Nimbus stared into the dark, watching the tiny pinpricks of light he thought to be stars glitter upon the abyss. There was something about the stars and the dark sky that called out to him; that summoned his attention. He found it difficult to look away and observe the desolation around him.

The winds had died down, and now rather than a scene of billowing filth Nimbus was treated to the sight of flat, boring earth – stretching as far as the dim light would permit him to see. Mountains rose behind him like rows of teeth threatening to engulf his friend's tent, and at their edge he saw a city of glimmering lights with a foul aura about it. He knew it to be called New Corel – Smith's first destination.

The robotic cat leapt out of the tent, making sure to catch a glimpse of the stars before setting off. "What wonderful fakes…," he said, half to himself and half to Nimbus, "so devoid of life, yet still beautiful. Even machinery can be beautiful; can imitate life. It's amazing."

"Fakes…," Nimbus repeated.

"Yes… We call it the Sky. It covers the continent and sucks up all the sunlight, using it to power those fake stars, among other things. And that," continued Smith, pointing to a tall golden spire, "is Stratus Palace. It used to be some kind of amusement park called Gold Soccer or some such, but now it's the seat of His Majesty's power."

His companion gave a nervous laugh, "I hope you're not thinking of attacking that thing… just the two of us."

"No, no; that would be stupid," the cat retorted. "What we need is more help. I've happened across reliable information that says a well-known – and well-hated – lone rebel lives somewhere beneath New Corel, in the ruins of the city that predated it. If we can find him, and you can convince him to join with us, we'll have a powerful new ally against the Empire."

"I don't suppose this rebel has a name?"

"His name's Bart Rockslide – better known as 'the Wall.' Rumour has it that he can take an entire barrage of bullets and still come out standing tall, hence the nickname. This'll be a fun test of your people skills."

Nimbus sighed. "Oh joy. I guess we might as well get moving then…"


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy 7 and all is associated characters, location, etc… are property of Square Enix.

**Peace's End**

**By tfa1**

Chapter 3: The Highflier

It was just another day in a plane for Captain Sid Highflier.

That was part of the problem…

Another part of the problem was his emperor's refusal to transfer him to the space program. With most of the Planet already under Imperial control, there was little to do other than explore the uncharted expanses of space. Sure, he could participate in another bombing raid on Wutai… Sure, he could patrol endless stretches of barren wasteland… Sure, he could skip work and have a beer… But Sid Highflier really didn't want to do any of that.

Who would want to go on a bombing mission when half the bombers would get shot down while the other half commits suicide? Who would want to patrol barren wastelands when even ants couldn't flourish there? Who wanted to have a beer when…? On second thought, Sid felt like a beer.

But what Sid Highflier really wanted was to go into outer space.

He remembered his trip to the Emperor's throne room like it was yesterday, which it was. He had been in the cafeteria drinking, smoking, eating, and coughing (all at the same time) when the Emperor's personal assistant (it felt wrong calling her a secretary) called him down.

He had walked all the way there, trying very hard to appear calm but failing miserably. It's hard to stay calm when talking to your boss's boss's boss, especially when he was the most-feared emperor of modern times. However, it was easily apparent that few got into the space program, and Sid Highflier wasn't going to let anything stand in his way, not even fear.

But, as fate had it, fear stood in the way…

"Request?" the Emperor had asked.

"I… I'd like… to… umm..."

"Denied."

"Sir, yes, sir!" he had said, right before marching away.

_One day_, he told himself, _one day I'm going to go into outer space_. _But before that happens, I'm gonna have a beer_.

And so Sid Highflier drank, smoked, ate, and flew a plane… all at the same time.

- - -

If New Corel could be compared to a human, it would have been called a homeless, depressed, teenage drunk hiked up on drugs. Everything in the capital city screamed, "Kill me" – sometimes literally. It looked like a massive brothel rather than a capital city.

It was a wretched hive of poverty.

It was a decrepit pit of sorrow.

It was a huge city where a man and his pet cat jumped into a sewer looking for ancient ruins and a man named 'the Wall.' Luckily for them, New Corel was where they'd find it.

As Nimbus and Smith dropped down into the dark sewage, Smith's eyes began to give off a light that illuminated the tunnels. Scanning through his memory banks, he found a blueprint of the sewers and led Nimbus through the murky water. The smell, the water, the dark – Nimbus soon discovered he hated this environment even more than the city, but he had made a promise to Smith that he would find this 'Bart' person.

The sewers turned out to be something of a subterranean maze, weaving this way and that with crap of all kinds waiting to be found at each corner. The two companions didn't go completely unrewarded for their troubles, for they located, among other things, boots, books, dirty jewellery, and the like. It was like a labyrinth of really nasty treasure.

But fortunately, all things come to an end, and soon the pair found themselves in a large cavern, flooded with sewage. This was the area known as Old Corel – the old city upon which New Corel was build. Like Midgar of ancient times, New Corel was built upon a plate that was suspended above the lower city, but this sector was uninhabited. The only people that went down into Old Corel were those with something to hide and complete idiots. Both Nimbus and Smith hoped they weren't the latter.

"There's supposed to be a sewage treatment facility around here somewhere," Smith informed his companion, "but I doubt our rebel friend would hide in a government-owned building. Any ideas?"

Nimbus scratched his head, deep in thought. "You know," he began, "it's possible that he's hiding in the treatment facility simply because no one would think to look for him there! And besides, I'd rather live there than in this muck." He kicked a floating object. It made a disturbing squish sound.

"That's ludicrous! A human would seek out shelter suitable for a human."

"Unless all suitable shelter was flooded by crap!"

The two of them sighed, exhausted by their maze run but unwilling to rest in the water. Old Corel was a rather large place, and in the matter of finding 'the Wall' they had no hunches.

But fate has an annoying tendency to make everything worse than it needs to be, and within minutes the man and his cat friend heard a gun cock directly behind them.

"Awight, foo's," sounded a deep, gruff voice from where the gun was located, "This 'ere be ROCKSLIDE territory, an' you be trespassin'."

And thus, the unlikely duo found themselves playing the roles of prisoners to the man they had come to help.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy 7 and all is associated characters, location, etc… are property of Square Enix.

**Author's Note**: Revision! Nothing major, though. I've slightly modified the scenes with Taefis in them to make her seem less… inhuman. And I've made some minor additions to the scene between Bart and Nimbus so that it doesn't seem so forced. It's still rather imperfect, but at this point in the story's development I'm not sure there's much more I can do.

**Peace's End**

**By tfa1**

Chapter 4: ROCKSLIDE's New Members

Nimbus awoke to find himself trapped in a cage, his robotic friend deactivated beside him. His cage was in a small room, built of wood and dimly lit by a small candle upon a four-legged table. Darkness lingered in the corners, but Nimbus was relieved to find that the room was completely dry. He suspected that they were on one of the higher stories of a multi-story house.

A miniscule stool was situated near the table, and upon that stool was a big, burly man. His skin was as dark as the room itself, and his short black hair sat idly upon his head. The vest he wore was rather small for his physique, and it was stained beyond repair. The prisoner couldn't even guess what colour his pants used to be. Nimbus stared in awe at the large man's left arm, which had been replaced by a large machine gun. He was polishing the gun with a rather dirty rag.

Without looking up, the man spoke, "I sees you're awake."

Nimbus gulped before answering. "Yes… Would you happen to be…'the Wall'?"

"Bart 'the Wall' Rockslide's what they call me. An' what 'bout you?"

"My name's Nimbus." He added soon after, "Or, at least it is until I find out what who I really am."

Still the Wall didn't move from his spot. "Must be one of them brainwashed folks." Nimbus nodded his agreement. "Well I don't trust ya! See, boy, in these dark times ya need to be extra careful. There's no tellin' who's an Imperial spy! That's why," he said, finally rising from his stool, "I'm gonna have to kill ya: you an' your cat… quietly."

He stalked forward, menacingly. "Wait!" Nimbus shouted. "You haven't even given me a chance to defend myself yet! There's no proof that I'm a spy!"

A smile crossed Rockslide's face as he stifled a laugh, halting his advance. "Hah! You're bald, did ya know that? It's a well-known fact that the Imperial army makes their soldiers shave their heads. An' that cat friend-o'-yours, do you know what he is?"

"He's a robot. Is there a problem?"

The larger man's smile disintegrated. "He's an Imperial spy, that's what he is! 'Aven't seen his kind in a long while but I know he's a spy!" Nimbus took a good look at his feline friend, and realized that the rebel was telling the truth. How else could he have acquired those blueprints? Why else would he have acted so… odd?

"A spy…," pondered Nimbus. "So that's why he asked me to join him: to get close to you! I've been used!"

"When ya hang out with Imperials, ya get used to it. 'Appens all the time."

"Does that mean you believe me?" Nimbus asked hopefully.

The larger man shrugged and continued his vigil over the prisoners for a while longer, but finally the look of shock and dismay on Nimbus's face convinced Rockslide that he was not a threat. He laughed as he let the man out of the cage, but left Smith within. "This is so pathetic you couldn't possibly be one o' them! Stupidest spy I ever saw. Whatever; I'll let you out, just 'cause you're so darn skinny that I could snap ya like a twig."

Nimbus would have taken offence to that if the man didn't have a gun grafted to his arm. Instead, he laughed as well, albeit nervously.

"So tell me," the dark-skinned man continued as he sat down, "What brings you 'ere to Old Corel?"

"Well, I was on my way to find you. Smith – the cat, I mean – told me we'd team up with you to take down some important Imperial centres, and hopefully find my identity… and I believed him. I need to find out who I am; where I'm from! Maybe we could help each other. Yeah! I… I would like to help in your rebellion! Please let me join you."

Rockslide gestured towards the black cat still locked inside the cage. "What 'bout 'im?"

Nimbus glanced at his former companion, lying lifeless on the cage floor. He had never trusted the cat, but he had to admit that it had grown on him, however slightly. For all he knew, though, the brainwash could have been Smith's doing. Nimbus was content to leave him deactivated.

Rockslide slammed his hand on the table in a gesture of excitement, but it startled Nimbus. "What a day this is! Awight, friend, you're now an honorary member of ROCKSLIDE (that's the name of my rebel group, ya see)! O' course, I still don't completely trust ya so I'm not gonna give ya any weapons. Now, let's get back to the surface. I hate it down 'ere an' I got a nice safe house up top. Called the Sixth Hell, it is. We'll plan our next move o'er there, and pick up a package I've been expectin.'"

"Wonderful…"

- - -

No one would ever call New Corel a nice place. They wouldn't even call it an okay place. But, to Taefis Locke of Gongaga, it felt just like home.

In fact, the capital city was more fun than Gongaga. Here, everyone was an oddball; everyone was different. Even though everyone stared at her she knew they stared at everyone else in turn. This land of poverty, it was a place where only the strong survived; only the strong got what they wanted. And Taefis was strong. Those who looked at her knew she was strong.

Those who didn't figure it out were made to figure it out.

One group of men in particular – a group of five to be exact – just couldn't take a hint. After giving their leader a fistful of love, they came back for vengeance, two of them wielding wooden clubs. With a single fell swoop, Taefis took one down before he even knew it was coming. Then, with the same speed she used to hunt animals back home, she ran around the remaining four, leaping off of whatever stood in her way, as clumsy punches and flailing weapons failed to hit her. One of the club-wielders accidentally hit one of his unarmed buddies directly in the face, and Taefis used the ensuing chaos as an opportunity to sneak up behind the last unarmed man and subdue him.

It was just like hunting the stupid carnivores of Gongaga Forest, only less dangerous. Two men were left: the ones with weapons – Taefis liked a challenge. Ducking under a blow, Taefis planted a punch where the sun doesn't shine, and the man easily went down. The leader, being the only one left, his brain working in slow-motion, finally realized he couldn't win and ran off into the distance.

For the first time in a long time, the reclusive orphan felt good about herself. She felt like she belonged, as if there was a place in the world for her. As she walked the streets of Corel, she discovered many new things. Plants were one of those things.

Never before had Taefis Locke eaten a plant. For her, it was an amazing experience, filled with new tastes and sensations that she had never imagined could have been possible. Imported all the way from Mideel, the greenery she jammed into her mouth wasn't particularly easy to come by, but Taefis had a way with the people here. As long as men remained blubbering idiots fascinated by each and every single woman, she'd have no need for money for a long time.

Taefis was a hungry little woman. It didn't take long for her to realize that she had a penchant for spicy foods, and within an hour or so she had found one of the spiciest restaurants in town. In no time flat she was devouring jalapenos with the best of them. The hunter from Gongaga, before long, completely forgot about her mission.

- - -

It had been a long journey going to Old Corel, but Nimbus was amazed to find it was relatively quick going back to the surface. Old Bart Rockslide knew the sewers like the back of his hand, and he smelt like it too. The men emerged back into a world where darkness ruled. The pinpricks of light Nimbus had seen from the tent remained in place where they where, suspended in the sky.

A grin crossed Rockslide's face as he put his hand on his hip, the lifeless cat dangling from his other arm. "Them stars are fake, but ev'ry time I see 'em I feel better inside. There's nothin' like the light to fuel a guy's 'opes an' dreams."

"What kinds of hopes and dreams?" the smaller man queried.

"One day, when the Empire's defeated, I'm gonna tear down that plate; take down that fake sky. I'll bring light back to the Western Continent, an' rebuild Corel, like it was in the good ol' days. It is, an' will always be, my home." A faint glimmer of a tear ran down the bulky man's face, lost in thought.

Trying to hide his emotions, Rockslide roughly brushed the tear aside, but the damage had already been done. Under that frightening guise, Bart Rockslide was really a softie, hoping for a better life and a better world. It wasn't his fault that everything was the way it was, but Nimbus knew he wasn't going to take the blame for letting it continue. No matter what, his companion would strive to crush the Empire.

Maintaining his gruff appearance, the rebel leader kicked the door open to the Sixth Hell restaurant and moseyed straight into the kitchen. From the outside, the place looked like an oversized trailer, but the inside had 'diner' written all over it. Nimbus remained in the main area, and as he looked around, he could literally smell and taste the heat of the dishes. Stray spices floated in through his nostrils and burned his lungs. The heat made him start to sweat.

And yet there was one customer that could stomach it all; one customer that craved the heat and defied all sensibility. Everyone crowded around her to watch the frenzy. She was beautiful, yet menacing, with long, dirty brown hair and ratty clothes. To Nimbus, the woman looked like she had met the Devil and escaped with his lunch money. He wanted more than anything to avoid her piercing gaze, but alas it was not to be.

As her eyes discovered his face through the spicy haze, she dropped her utensils and gaped at him. After some time, something seemed to register with her. "I…" she began, "I think I've seen you before!"

Not too long after, Taefis Locke became a member of ROCKSLIDE.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy 7 and all is associated characters, location, etc… are property of Square Enix.

**Peace's End**

**By tfa1**

Chapter 5: The Emperor's Prize

Golden walls, red curtains, and murals of ancient battles adorned the throne room of the self-proclaimed Emperor. Everyone in his employ admired this room, but few dared to enter it. Some distance from the back wall sat an office desk and a throne of solid gold.

Clothed in armour as black as the vast reaches of space, the Emperor was a figure cloaked in darkness itself. A featureless helmet perpetually covered his face, hiding the beast within, while the fingers of his gauntlets were sharpened at the tips, like claws. For days upon days he'd sit upon his throne, pondering whatever it was that he pondered; staring at whatever it was that he stared at.

But beyond the Emperor was an even more fearful sight. It was a mural on the back wall – the backdrop for his throne. It was a full-colour artist's rendition of Jenova-SYNTHESIS, surrounded by the Lifestream. Her tentacles, outstretched, were poised to strike and her eyes, filled with malice, locked the gaze of mortal men within their grasp. The mural hypnotized and took control. Only fools stared into the eyes of Jenova.

Today, a single man stood before the throne room's double doors, anticipating his upcoming conversation. There were few things he hated more than speaking with his emperor, but it was his job to do so, and he knew that if he missed his appointment – well, he decided he'd rather not think about that.

He was a rather short man and hunched like all mad scientists should be. His dark hair and beard, scraggly and unkempt, reflected the state of a man who hadn't slept in months. Even his lab coat hung loose about him as if ready to drop to the ground for a rest.

He was Professor Joseph, Head of the Space Program.

He walked forward into the room, careful to avoid the mural's gaze. "It's funny that you should choose Jenova, rather than Sephiroth, for your backdrop, my emperor."

The Emperor's gaze met his own and he felt his body involuntarily seize up. Still, he kept walking. "It's funny that you should care," the Professor heard the Emperor say. "To host a mural of Sephiroth behind my throne would place him in a position greater than my own. That would just be silly." His voice was hard and confident, but it shook with each word. The Emperor's voice was as unstable as its master. "What news of the project?"

The professor continued to step forward, ever so slowly. "We're making progress, sir, but there have been… difficulties."

Joseph could feel the Emperor's provoked hatred leaking from his armour. He could have sworn he saw steam rising from the man's shoulders. "I will not tolerate failure," he replied simply.

As Professor Joseph reached the Emperor's desk, he decided not to sit down. This way, there would be nothing to keep him from running away. "My liege, please be reasonable! We don't have nearly enough time to complete your wishes."

The Emperor stood up now, furious with his servant's statements. The professor felt himself shrink as he cowered before the man clad in darkness. "You will complete this task in the time specified. If you don't believe you can meet my demands, then I suggest you start filling out a change of address form."

"I-I don't understand, sir…"

The Emperor's eyes pierced the frail scientist, glowing with his fury. "Trust me, professor… if you fail then I shall teach you the true meaning of despair. I have a sand worm's belly waiting outside with your name on it. You're dismissed."

The hunched man turned and fled, wondering whether or not he was lucky to be alive.

- - -

In the Sixth Hell restaurant, a conversation was sparked. Neither Taefis nor Nimbus could remember meeting each other before, but subconsciously they recognized each other. Nimbus listened intently to Taefis's stories, having none of his own, about her home and what she could remember of her life. As he listened to her, Nimbus felt as if he was regaining a portion of his identity.

"This is spectacular," she said, "I never thought I'd find a lead so soon."

"A lead on what?" Nimbus asked.

She leaned forward, placing her face close to his. "You're probably the key to figuring out what happened to my parents. I know the Empire was responsible, but I need to know how it happened; why it happened. No one will tell me, but I must find out. You… you've been to Gongaga and you've served in the Imperial army – I'm so close to finding the truth!"

Nimbus laughed nervously, "You seem to be forgetting that I've forgotten everything about my life."

"So," the woman continued, "I wonder how we know each other… Neighbours, perhaps? Maybe we were childhood friends?"

Nimbus shrugged. To him, speculation was pointless until the truth was unearthed. "For all we know, there's a chance we don't really know each other at all; that we've only met in passing. For now, let's just create a new friendship, rather than dwelling on something we know nothing about."

Disappointed, Taefis lowered her head, but she recognized the wisdom of his words. "Alright, then; let's be friends. And now, since you're the first clue I've come across in this mystery, I'm gonna follow you wherever you go until I know just what it was that happened."

Aghast, Nimbus began to choke on the air. "Now wait just a minute!" he managed to blurt out.

Taefis would not relent. "I am not going to let my past slip so easily through my fingers. I want the truth, and there is nothing – absolutely nothing – that can stop me."

Nimbus laughed, "Sephiroth himself would cower beneath your pride!" The scowl she gave him convinced him of it. Regardless, he had definitely not been prepared for her joining ROCKSLIDE. His large leader, on the other hand, welcomed her with open arms… after some persuasion.

"I don't trust ya, so don't be thinkin' you can just –" Her piercing glare silenced him on the spot. "Women…," he managed to spout, weakly.

Nimbus laughed. For all his bulk and muscle, Bart would rather risk discovery by an Imperial spy than face the gaze of a scorned woman. The Wall, it seemed, had caved before his eyes.

In an effort to break the awkward silence that had built up, Rockslide announced, "We're goin' on a trip, foo's! I've managed to find us some dynamite an' I know just where we can use it!"

"And where would that be?" Nimbus asked as he cocked an eyebrow.

His friend laughed. "We're gonna take down the Emperor's most prized possession: the Space Program Facility at the Northern Crater."


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy 7 and all is associated characters, location, etc… are property of Square Enix.

**Peace's End**

**By tfa1**

Chapter 6: Highflying Hopes

People joined the Imperial military for two reasons: to get killed in combat or to commit suicide with the vast array of available weapons.

Sid Highflier joined the military because he could get discounts on booze.

And as he flew over Wutai on another idiotic bombing raid, he wished he had some alcohol with him. Each time he tried this he wondered why his bombs never hit anything. It was as if they bounced off the air itself; repelled by a barrier. In fact, he didn't understand the whole war with Wutai. The Wutaians didn't use guns, they didn't have planes, and they rarely invaded. Sid wondered how the nation managed to persevere.

He did not know that they wielded weapons more powerful than guns; more powerful than planes. What they used were potent magics; powers contained within ancient orbs known as Materia.

Fire rained down upon the bombing crews. Lightning fried the circuits. If Sid Highflier didn't fly drunk, he would have noticed the numerous summoned monsters that would come to Wutai's aid, blasting enemies clean over the horizon. Over the past 700 years, the people of Wutai had hunted down and acquired nearly every single materia on the Planet.

Completely out of his right mind, Sid registered very little of this. His drunken state, although it impaired his ability to identify anything clearly and tended to wipe his memory, saved his life on numerous occasions. His erratic flight patterns and occasional nose-dives either made him very difficult to shoot or led the Wutaians to believe he was already dead.

But Sid Highflier never crashed. It was the one thing he was famous for. It was part of the reason he was made a captain; the other being that he was one of the few military soldiers left alive, although many believed that was soon to end. Flying drunk into the heat of battle was downright stupid, but by now Captain Highflier had mastered the art of drunkenness. He had mastered the art of smoking while drunk. He had mastered the art of eating while smoking drunk.

But above all, Captain Sid Highflier had mastered the art of getting discounts on booze.

And, flying above the pristine nation of Wutai, he wished he had some with him.

- - -

"There's only one way outta here," elaborated Bart, "We gotta find ourselves a plane; a military one. They're the only things allowed in and out of the Sky."

Nimbus grinned, "And where will we find one of those?"

Rockslide shook the lifeless robot slung underneath his arm. "He's gonna tell us." Forcing a large finger into the back of the cat's head, he reactivated Smith. The big man wrapped his hand around its little body, pinning its arms in place. Rockslide wasn't taking any chances with an Imperial spy.

"Where's the nearest air base?" he demanded.

Smith turned his gaze to Nimbus. "I see that our little operation went amiss…"

The bald man didn't smile. "That's what happens when someone finds out you're a spy."

"So you don't trust me, then," the cat said as a frown crossed its once jubilant face, "I expected as much. I brought ya along in the hopes you could convince the Wall that I'm one of the good guys, but I see that I hoped in vain."

"To tell the truth, I never really trusted you myself."

The black cat snorted angrily. "Nimbus Air Force Base is right here in the city." Looking to Nimbus, he said, "Kind of ironic, don't ya think?"

"Quite," his former companion muttered.

"Then," Rockslide began, "that's where we'll be headed. You're comin' with us, cat; if you want to live."

"Oh, goodie…"

- - -

Sid Highflier's landing went smoothly… for a drunk. As he glided into the hangar, loosing the tip of his wing in the process, his mind began to clear, and once again he thought of his dream to go into outer space.

It was quite apparent that the Emperor wasn't going to give him a place aboard any spaceships, so Sid did what any man would do.

He decided that he was going anyways.

The problem he was faced with was getting out of the Sky without looking suspicious. He knew all too well the kinds of things done to suspicious flying objects. Last summer a heat-seeking missile was sent after an unidentified craft… which turned out in the end to be a bird. Pretending to go on another bombing mission to Wutai was out of the question; not only was his craft damaged (by his landing), but none of the other airplanes had returned, unsurprisingly.

Captain Sid had two options available to him: dropship or helicopter. Helicopters were used primarily for internal travel underneath the Sky these days, and he needed a crew if a dropship ploy was to be successful.

But where was Captain Sid Highflier going to find a crew willing to fly all the way to the Space Program Facility?

- - -

Sure enough, Nimbus Air Force Base was located in the city, about seven blocks from the Sixth Hell, next to a church, of all places. Getting there was no problem; getting in was. A keypad, a twelve-inch thick steel door, and an automatic gun turret blocked the way in.

"Open it!" yelled Rockslide as he pressed Smith's face into the keypad, his hand now clutched around the feline's head to allow for arm movement. The cat's body hung limp as he resisted the big man's orders. "Now!"

Smith tried to shake his head, but it was locked tight in Bart's hand. "I can't open it."

"Don't lie to me, ya lousy spy!"

"I can't open it," the robot repeated.

"If you don't open this here door, I swear I'm gonna rip you a new one, pal."

"I don't know the code," sighed Smith. "If you haven't noticed I'm an outdated model. I don't get updated with any of the new key codes."

"That's bull!"

The cat remained limp. "That's the truth. My fellow black cats and I have been obsolete ever since the Empire's new top secret program got underway. All my brothers and sisters have been impounded at a disassembly factory, waiting to get recycled."

Finally it all made sense. "That's why you want to take down the Empire!" Nimbus exclaimed, "You want to save your friends!"

"Not my friends; my family. They're all I've ever had."

Rockslide's grip didn't loosen and distrust became apparent on his face. Nimbus took the black cat into his own arms and asked him, "How do we get into here?"

Just as Smith was about to tell him it was impossible, the steel door opened to reveal a bald man in a blue coat with beige jeans. He dragged himself along, as if depressed, and periodically scratched his stubble with a gloved hand. In his free hand he carried a jug filled to the brim with fresh alcohol, and he chugged some of it down without removing the cigar clenched in his yellowish teeth.

"And where would we be headed?" he asked the suspicious bystanders.

Taefis, Rockslide, and Nimbus's bodies locked up and they remained silent, but Smith was quick to act. "We need a lift off this rock, Captain!"

The decrepit man suddenly stood up straight, a smile beaming on his face. "Smith, you old dog (err… cat), if you only knew how happy I am to hear that…"


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy 7 and all is associated characters, location, etc… are property of Square Enix.

**Peace's End**

**By tfa1**

Chapter 7: The Beauty of the Planet

Handing them each a uniform, the captain escorted the rebel group ROCKSLIDE into the hangars of Nimbus Air Force Base. Sporting fake names given to them by the mysterious captain, they proceeded through the halls without too much trouble. If anyone suspected the group of being trespassers, their own lack of motivation and the captain's harsh words kept them off the trail.

Passing by a weapons rack, Nimbus decided to procure a massive sword for himself. It was surprisingly light. Eventually they came to a hangar populated by large planes with open hatches in the back: military dropships. Under orders from the captain, the group jumped inside and prepared for takeoff. The captain got into the cockpit and chugged some booze.

Good day, Captain, came a voice over the radio, This is your flight operator speaking. I… I can't seem to find your flight listed on the schedule… Did you fill out the proper paperwork for this mission?

"Of course I did!" replied the captain. "This is a top-secret #& mission; so top-secret that it's not on the schedule to keep it secret! Keep it secret, okay, son?"

Sir, I'm afraid I can't allow takeoff without proper authorization. I'm contacting the higher-ups.

"The #& Emperor himself authorized this mission. I'm sure he'd love to receive your phone call," the captain began to sweat. This wasn't going as well as he would have hoped.

The… the Emperor? S-sir, I had no idea, sir! I'll open the door right aw – hey, wait a minute! Two of your passengers have hair, captain. You know as well as I do that that's against regulation.

The captain gulped. How would he explain this one? "Wigs," he said at last. "They're wigs! This is a top-secret undercover operation to be conducted behind enemy lines – we're double agents or something like that. We'll need to blend in with the locals. Now let me through before the Emperor himself calls!"

Right away, sir – b-but there seems to be a… a cat on board, sir.

"Pest control."

Whatever you say, sir. Opening hangar doors… now…

- - -

As the dropship took off, Captain Sid was happy to find that the air was as still as a corpse. Wind was virtually non-existent, but the captain's passengers still found it to be a rough ride, on account of the captain's rather distasteful piloting habits.

The captain's voice came over the intercom. "Good day, everyone. This is Captain Sid Highflier speaking. Our current heading is westward towards Wutai for a top-secret mission. Upon arrival we will abandon our mission and head towards the Northern Crater. ETA is… some #& awful amount of time. Please keep all hands, legs, and cats within the craft at all times. Thank you for flying with the Imperial Air Force, where death is only a mistake away."

Rockslide began turning green in the face.

"To Chunky, back there, please use the vomit back in front of you. Oh, and uh… any of you got a smoke? I'm #& dying up here." With this statement, all four clutched their seatbelts with renewed vigour.

Smith alone seemed unbothered. "Hey Captain!" yelled he, "How about ya level off the craft a bit. My companions are ready to puke!"

Once again the captain's smug voice issued forth from the intercom. "Sorry, pal; I gotta keep one hand on my booze jug at all times. Besides, I saw some vomit bags back there. Some things are more important than keeping lunch inside." Pausing for a moment, he started to babble once again. "If you'll look out the rear end of our lovely transport, you'll be treated to a magnificent view of New Corel. To the right you'll see Stratus Palace, formerly known as the Gold Saucer. I feel sorry for the poor saps working there. And just up ahead will be the…"

And so the dropship sped off into the darkness under the Sky, its passengers wishing for a swift and painless trip.

- - -

Slowly the dropship emerged from the darkness of the Empire contained beneath its massive plate, and those within the craft found themselves faced with nothing but blue skies and seas. For Nimbus, Bart Rockslide, and Taefis Locke, the great blue sky that stretched before them was a magnificent sight; perhaps even enough to provoke them to ignore Highflier's reckless driving. It's infinite vastness and colour was unlike anything they had ever seen in their entire lives.

Nimbus gaped in pure awe. "It's beautiful… I've never seen anything so beautiful… that I can remember, of course."

"It truly is amazing," Taefis said as Nimbus leaned out of the craft's rear to try and get a better look. He could barely make out the glimmer of tears in Rockslide's eyes. Smith didn't stir; Nimbus suspected that he had seen it before on a previous mission.

Nimbus continued to stare and marvel at the beauty of the sky. He wondered what it would be like to live up there; to live among Infinity. Even as Rockslide and Taefis returned to worrying about Sid's flying, Nimbus continued to watch as the clouds passed by. It captivated him; locked his mind within its expanses, and he lost himself within it.

He felt his mind melt away, light as a feather, as it drifted off into the clouds, to sail with them. Everything he had done up till now was rendered meaningless compared to this event. He stared on as the dropship approached Wutai, and continued to do so as the Northern Crater came within view.

He loved the sky – the true sky – more than anyone.

- - -

Deep within the confines of the Space Program Facility, two scientists spoke at length. One was the dark-haired man called Professor Joseph, returned from his visit with the Emperor. The other man was older than he, white-haired with a long beard that touched his waist. His legs were rendered useless in an experiment gone wrong long ago, and these days he was confined to a hovering chair.

He was an eccentric, fascinated by the Planet and everything about it. He had joined the Space Program in an effort to explore the cosmos and learn more about life, the universe, and everything in general. His eyes, partially hidden by round spectacles, were filled with a sort of compassion and joy that were made evident by his many laugh lines. The desktop wallpaper for his laptop, which he kept on his person at all times, was a great big happy face.

"Such a shame… The Planet is angry," the old man began.

"So," said Professor Joseph, "you've more philosophical crap to tell us today, Dr. Bugen?"

"Yes," the other replied, "I do. But, I can assure you it is not 'crap,' as you call it. I have studied our Planet since before you were born."

Joseph snickered in contempt. "I've heard that line a thousand times, Doctor, and no matter how little I care you always manage to find some way to work your beliefs in into our little conversations. How you ever became a scientist is beyond me."

"I do this so that I may acquire a… broader perspective. Not all of us are ignorant of life and its beauty, Professor."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

The good doctor smiled. It was a kindly smile, devoid of hatred but full, rather, of understanding. "Ho ho ho! It means whatever you take it to mean. I can speak, but it is up to the listener to understand. I know you understand what I say, Professor… but sometimes I wonder if maybe science hasn't made you blind to what truly matters."

"And what, good sir, truly matters in this world?"

"Ho ho ho! Life… In all the time you've spent perfecting your craft, you've missed out on the opportunity to create a family. You bury your face in books and computers, and sometimes I wonder if yours is a life worth living."

Joseph laughed mockingly. "Life ends, Dr. Bugen, but science and innovation are eternal! Knowledge is power and when we acquire enough knowledge we shall become nothing short of gods!"

Now it was Bugen who laughed. "Eternal, you say? The knowledge you acquire is only immortal so long as others live to tell about it. Humanity, as much as it may pain you, Professor, is not invincible. There may come a time when all that you've worked to accomplish becomes meaningless." The professor's silence reflected his hatred for this statement. "We should enjoy life while we still can, making the best of what we have. Too soon does life end, but that is why we should enjoy what little time we have."

The professor felt himself ready to explode. "What the hell are you talking about? I thought you were the one that said knowledge lives on in the Lifestream!"

"Ah, so you admit I'm correct. Ho ho ho! I've waited for this day."

The professor remained silent, conceding to Bugen's victory.

The old man spoke again. "The Planet is angry; the angriest it's been in 700 years."

"And your point?"

"The Lifestream recycles itself, reusing spirit energy to create new life. Each spirit repeats throughout the ages, over and over… If this is so, then history itself should repeat… Time, destiny, and the Lifestream have created the situation we currently live in, a situation much like the one that existed 700 years ago."

"I still don't see where you're going with this."

"It's just a hunch, but I'm certain that Sephiroth, in whatever form he has adopted, will return… soon, if he hasn't already. The heroes that defeated him long ago have probably been reincarnated as well. However, there's no telling what destiny has in store – the end of the world could be near. I, for one, am going to enjoy the rest of my life while I am still able."

"Is that all?"

"No," said Dr. Bugen, his smile widening, "I'm going to use this as an excuse to take an early, and extended, lunch break. Ho ho ho!" Hovering away, he tore his gaze away from his laptop and looked back at the professor. "Did I ever tell you about my cat?"


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy 7 and all is associated characters, location, etc… are property of Square Enix.

**Peace's End**

**By tfa1**

Chapter 8: The Welcome Mat

The Northern Crater, the Planet's great wound… Hours after their departure, the dropship flown by Captain Sid Highflier passed by the Northern Continent. Half of the land was covered in snow; as barren as the land beneath the Sky. Nimbus stared at the white fields of nothing, and noted that he didn't like this place. It was cold, it was barren, it was… finite. In comparison to the true sky, the Northern Continent and its snow paled in Nimbus's eyes.

A circular steel platform was set in the middle of the Crater, held up by a research facility that occupied the majority of the Planet's great blemish. Captain Sid landed without too much trouble, for it was what he encountered next that presented the true problems. If rumours were true, this facility was organized better than the imperial military… but seeing as how the military was in a perpetual state of chaos it was easy to think that anything could be better.

The platform Sid had landed on was encircled by twenty-foot high reinforced steel walls. A guard approached the dropship from a nearby outpost as soon as the landing was complete. "You are not authorized to be here," he said.

Fear of the Emperor would not save Sid here. This was where the beast's heart lay, and the men of the Space Program knew the Emperor's wishes better than anyone. "#& tank's runnin' low on fuel. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to make it to my destination," the captain replied as he took another sip from his jug.

"This fuel is reserved for authorized personnel only. Please be on your way."

Just like that, all of Sid Highflier's hopes were dashed. He would never get the chance of flying into outer space. He would never get the chance to smoke in zero gravity.

But before the captain had a chance to dwell on it too long, the leader of ROCKSLIDE had the guard clutched within his iron grip. Speaking to anyone who might be listening, he shouted out, "One wrong move an' he's dead!"

What happened next made it extremely apparent that the guard was expendable. As the floors and walls opened up to reveal hidden gun turrets, the captain and the rebel scrambled to get inside the dropship, hoping it would provide enough security. The guard was dragged along, although he didn't seem to mind.

Forcing his gun-arm into the guard's face, Rockslide yelled at him. "Tell me everythin' I need to know or I'll blow your brains out!" Nimbus and Taefis sat by while their leader worked his magic.

The guard wanted to live as much as the dropship passengers, much to Highflier's surprise. "The key code for the door to my security post is 823543. There's a security terminal inside; the password is 'cumulus.' That's all I know, I swear!"

Rockslide nodded. "It's enough." He motioned for everyone in the dropship, including the guard, to join him as he prepared to jump out and make a run for it. Smith stopped him before he could.

"Let me go," he said. "If I know Imperial defences (which I do), then chances are good that those turrets target heat sources. As a robot, I'm far less likely to get hit than you are. If I'm wrong, then I can only hope I'm small enough to dodge…"

Rockslide hesitated to give an answer.

"Please," the cat begged, "trust me, at least this once."

Rockslide reluctantly agreed, and the feline jumped out of the dropship and ran for all his life was worth. The sounds of gunfire erupted around them as the turrets fired up.

"Aw, hell…" Rockslide ducked as the turrets began to pierce through the dropship's hull. The others decided to do the same. As bullets rained down upon the craft and began to tear it apart, Nimbus found the time to admire the sword he'd stolen from the air base. A single word was printed across it, supposedly to indicate its name: _Despair_.

Nimbus had mixed feelings about this.

The seconds seemed to drag on as minutes, and as the dropship slowly gave way all were left to wonder what was taking Smith so long. Was their faith in him misplaced? Had he abandoned them? Nimbus didn't think so, but after selecting a sword named _Despair_ he began to wonder if fate was playing some sort of sick game with him. As if a lost identity wasn't enough…

After what seemed like an eternity, the gunfire stopped, and the passengers were left to examine the damage. The dropship, if it could even be called that now, was a wreck. It was a miracle that the troupe escaped with mostly minor wounds. Granted, a round had shattered the bone in Captain Sid's left thigh, and the guard's right hand went missing, but all in all everything had gone okay. A single bullet had blasted straight through Nimbus's sword, leaving an empty period at the end of the letters to _Despair_, but Nimbus wasn't particularly fond of the sword and really didn't care.

The four exited the dropship, after tying up the guard and bandaging his wounds, and made for the security post. Nimbus trotted along, doing everything within his power to continue looking upwards to marvel at the clear skies. Inside, they found Smith in a swivel chair smoking a cigar, an unconscious guard situated at his feet. "Pleash forgibe my shlownesh," he managed to joke with the cigar still perched in his mouth, "I jusht couldn't rezisht a shmoke."

Sid, clinging to Taefis for support, brightened up with a smile. "Hey, I could use one of those!"

Nimbus smiled at Smith. "Thanks for… you know… helping us out."

The Wall, his movements and speech infected with tepidity, managed to articulate some congratulatory words. "Nice work, cat."

The feline spun around on his swivel chair. He was obviously pleased with himself. "And it gets better! I managed to hack into the main security system. Find me a door, and I'll show you the key…"

Rockslide snorted. "So, how're we going to do this?" Taefis asked.

"First thing's first," said the rebel leader, "we need to find out what kinds o' stuff is goin' on 'ere – why it's so precious to the Emperor. When we find what we're lookin' for, we destroy it. Simple as pie…" He affectionately patted the dynamite he'd received at the Sixth Hell restaurant, cradling it in his pocket like a mother kangaroo and its baby.

Smith analysed his memory. "The highest security area is a lab near the bottom of the crater: level B66. There's got to be something there. An elevator's just past that door," he motioned towards a door behind the group, "and through the hall. Resistance is expected, but I don't think we'll have much of a problem." His gaze fell upon Rockslide's gun-arm.

"Well then," Taefis clapped her hands together, giddy for more action, "let's see what our beloved Emperor prizes so much."


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy 7 and all is associated characters, location, etc… are property of Square Enix.

**Author's Note**: Alright; my first review! I'd like to thank Maux and all my other readers for their support. As for all the people I have yet to reincarnate, I'm pleased to say that Vincent and Yuffie will return in the near future. I kind of forgot about the Turks and I don't know if I'll be including them, but time will tell. Aeris is already here, I simply consolidated them into a single being (Taefis 'Ta' and 'fi' from Tifa plus 'ae' and 'is' from Aeris) to avoid the whole Cloti/Cloris thing. True, the love triangle is one of the things that make FF7 a great game, but character development and romance are not my strong points.

**Peace's End**

**By tfa1**

Chapter 9: Guns, Guns, and a Tuna Sandwich

The hallway was empty. The small group of rebels could easily spot the elevator on the other end, but none except Taefis dared to continue forward. Rockslide, feebly attempting to conceal his fear, proceeded in her wake. His shifting eyes, trembling knees, and sweaty face did little to strengthen his façade.

"So," asked Smith, breaking the cautious silence, "do we got any explosives? We might be able to blast any guards out of hiding, if you catch my drift."

Nimbus whispered as quietly as possible, "If you keep talking so loud I'll bet even the enemy will catch your drift. For a spy you're not all that stealthy."

Sid's hearty laugh managed to erase all chances of remaining unheard. "Maybe that's why the bugger got fired!"

Smith scowled. "Decommissioned; there's a difference! Robots do not get fired. Besides, I detect no life signs on this floor and an army of robotic guards would already know we're here. Stealth is out of the question; that fiasco on the landing pad with those turrets has probably alerted the entire facility by now. I've done what I can to deactivate the security, although human enemies may still present a threat."

At once Bart Rockslide regained his composure and prepared his gun-arm. The friends bolted towards the elevator without caution, despite the fact that a gun turret may spring up without warning. Fortunately, the feline had deactivated all the turrets on this floor during his encounter with the security terminal. Perched upon Nimbus's shoulder, he examined his memory banks and pondered the current situation. Soon, they arrived at the elevator and pushed the button denoting 'down.'

The elevator took a long time to arrive, but when it finally did the rebels piled in. Destination: level B66. Security level: high. Solution: Smith the cat. The elevator arrived at B66; the doors opening to reveal a high-tech metal hallway. Everything glimmered in the fluorescent light. The troupe cautiously stepped out, finding as they did so that the halls were empty.

Smith's voice became a barely audible whisper. "Hostiles detected. Proceed with extreme caution. And, above all, terminate without prejudice – if you miss these guards, they sure aren't going to give ya a second chance."

Taefis stalked forward, silent but swift. She was the hunter, everything else was the prey. Nimbus admired her skill as she peeked around corners and walked through the halls. As they moved on, directed by the cat upon Nimbus's shoulder, Taefis spotted a guard. With little effort, she snuck up behind him and 'liberated' his soul. Bart clung to his gun-arm anxiously as she hid the body.

Continuing on, they came upon a large room containing six guards brandishing sub-machine guns. It was a guard outpost, complete with a mini-cafeteria and lavatories to ensure that the post would be guarded 24 hours a day. Smith swore that the gun turrets within had been deactivated, but Rockslide still seemed fearful of entering. Beyond the guard post lay a laboratory, supposedly the best-guarded in the facility. Taefis took out a patrolling guard, and prepared to assault the post. The rebels were glad to discover that their presence had, thus far, gone unnoticed, but that would soon change.

Rockslide examined his companions. Highflier had a pistol sidearm – but his left leg had been wounded at the landing platform and no one was willing to carry him into battle. Nimbus was armed with _Despair_, but he would be useless in the upcoming fight unless he could dodge bullets. Taefis was speedy but had no weapons. He didn't know if she'd prove an asset or liability. Smith was unarmed, so Rockslide decided to hand Sid's pistol to him. Bart tightened his grip on his gun-arm. Perhaps this hadn't been the best idea.

Rockslide gestured that he was ready to begin. Everyone, including Smith, implied that they were ready too.

- - -

Dr. Bugen happily munched a tuna sandwich as the happy face on his laptop wallpaper beamed at him. Professor Joseph sat across from him, wondering why he had joined his greatest rival for lunch at a restaurant in Icicle Inn.

"This is a waste of time," the dark-haired scientist pointed out. "Lunch hour ended ten minutes ago and we have much work to do."

The older man chuckled as he swallowed a bite of his sandwich. "Don't be such a kill-joy. Now that the structural design flaws have been worked out all we need to do is install the technology. There's plenty of time for that."

"It's completed? I was under the impression that we were experiencing major difficulties."

The good doctor smiled. "Ho ho ho! We were, up until the moment that we weren't."

"How did you account for the…" Dr. Bugen raised his hand, silencing the younger man.

"There will be plenty of time to talk once I'm finished my sandwich," said he, "and there will be plenty of time after that to complete the project. Don't get your knickers in a twist."

Joseph glared, scowled, and allowed other unpleasant expressions to cross his face. "It's easy to say that when you don't have to report to the Emperor…"

Bugen gulped down another piece of sandwich. "You must learn to be patient, Professor. Patience is a virtue; and those who are virtuous are rewarded in time. It's easier to work, and work well, when you don't burden yourself with stress."

"Tell that to the Emperor…"

- - -

The rebel leader charged in, arm blazing; followed closely by Taefis and the now-armed Smith. Nimbus ran in, _Despair_ clutched in his hands, as one guard went down under Rockslide's hail of bullets. Smith, who proved to be an amazing pistol marksman, easily dispatched another guard. Taefis leapt off walls with a dark smirk on her face, rejoicing in the guards' frustration at missing her. With an unexpected jump, she closed in on a third guard and knocked him out. Carrying his sword like a shield, bullets bounced off of Nimbus's weapon as he charged the unconscious guard and ended his misery, although a single bullet made its way through the hole in _Despair_ and nicked his neck.

Barely dodging in time, a pair of bullets missed Rockslide's heart but lodged into his left shoulder. He dropped to the ground, unable to lift his wounded gun-arm. Smith took a direct hit to the chest, but he managed to remain functional, sending a well-aimed shot into the fourth guard's head. Taefis, a blur compared to her slower friends, knocked the second last guard's weapon out of his hand and dropped him to the ground. The last guard ran into the next room, cradling a wound left by Rockslide.

Nimbus ran over to Rockslide to nurse his injuries, but Taefis continued on, undeterred. She marched valiantly, albeit stupidly, into the next room, finding the last guard more than willing to continue the fight. Nimbus had barely registered the sounds of gunfire when Taefis sped back into the room, a trickle of blood flowing from her right calf.

She chuckled in a vain attempt to disguise her fear. "Anyone here have a rocket launcher?"

Smith eyed her quizzically. "What for?" he asked.

The cat jumped backwards as the sounds of machinery flaring to life made contact with his noise sensors. Taefis's voice shook as she spoke, "Not all robots are as small as you…"


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy 7 and all is associated characters, location, etc… are property of Square Enix.

**Author's Note**: Correspondence by review and author's notes; this'll be fun! It's true that setting the story 700 years in the future offers me a great deal of freedom; heck, that's one of the reasons I chose it. Now I can warp the story and its characters to my heart's content! Mwa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

Seriously, though; my changes are bound to make someone angry, so I'll take this opportunity to ask all my readers to proceed at their own discretion (it's kind of late to be issuing a warning but oh well). You have been warned…

**Peace's End**

**By tfa1**

Chapter 10: A Real Pain

Nimbus grinned as he walked over to stand by Taefis. _Despair_ slung over his shoulder, he stared into the gloom ahead of them as machinery continued to work inside. Light from the room they stood in illuminated a part of the floor of the other chamber, but it wasn't enough to see what kind of robot was waiting for them inside.

"Well then," he uttered, "let's see just how tough this thing is."

They stepped forwards together, Taefis gradually regaining her composure. Inside, a pair of crimson lights, like eyes, stared at them from the right. Light erupted around them as a set of machine guns unloaded their projectiles aimed for the friends.

Nimbus and Taefis dodged, using the light produced by the shooting to figure out where the guard-bot was. Darkness engulfed the chamber once again as the robot's clip emptied, and the distinctive sound of reloading could be heard emanating from the great machine.

From the quick glimpse he had managed to catch, Nimbus deduced that the six-legged robot was about two stories high and armed to the teeth with guns, rockets, and various other instruments of death. It became fairly obvious, as it unleashed another barrage of bullets, that the manually-operated machine was equipped with night-vision. It resembled one of those Guard Scorpions utilized by the Shinra organization 700 years ago, with much more bang.

Nimbus charged, careful to sidestep the bullets aimed for his vital centres, and tried to swipe at one of the mechanical legs with his sword. The light subsided as he approached, and his swing met nothing but air as the leg moved out of the way. Taefis heard a hiss as a heat-seeking rocket was loosed upon her, and she managed to roll out of the way just as it was about to make contact. It met the floor instead; the blast sending Taefis careening forwards and under the scorpion. The machine's legs gave way as it moved to crush her, but Nimbus, his eyes now adapting to the darkness, swiftly picked her up and ran.

Brandishing _Despair_ anew, Nimbus charged at another of the robot's legs. Having learnt his lesson, Nimbus didn't slash at the leg as it moved out of the way, but rather he threw his weapon at a neighbouring leg and watched it pierce its target. Grabbing on to the handle, he pulled out _Despair_ and swiped the knee-joint as he fell, severing the leg from its body.

Backed against a wall and distracted by Nimbus, the scorpion did not pay attention to Taefis as she pushed off from the wall and landed on the machine's main body. Nimbus threw his sword to her, hoping she'd be able to catch it in the darkness. Her hand clasped around the massive sword, and she proceeded to dismember one of the scorpion's machine gun-equipped arms. The robot attempted to stomp on Nimbus with its five remaining legs as its arm fell to the ground, but the bald man proved too quick.

Taefis Locke climbed up the machine's torso, heaving the sword along as she did so. Reaching the top, she plunged the weapon into the robot's 'head,' but the electric shock sent her flying into the nearby wall. The sword did the trick, however, and soon the scorpion could no longer function. The operator, still armed with his sub-machine gun, emerged from the now-damaged head and began firing wildly, having no night vision of his own. Now unarmed, neither Nimbus nor Taefis were able to attack him, but impeccable timing by Smith proved his downfall. A single gunshot from the miniscule cat rendered the guard lifeless.

The feline strode over to where Taefis and Nimbus were panting, and smirked. "All in a day's work, friends."

Activating the flashlights in his eyes, he continued on through the darkness as the human pair returned to the other room to get their friends.

- - -

Past the room with the Guard Scorpion was a dark laboratory. Computer terminals lined the walls, and at the far end of the lab was a gigantic hollow tube with a space shuttle nestled inside it. A great deal of machinery was scattered along the laboratory floor, but none of the members of ROCKSLIDE knew what any of it was for. A small group of three scientists fluttered about from terminal to terminal, like moths in the gloom.

Captain Highflier collapsed to the ground and stared at the rocket ship before him. "What I would give to fly in that…" he muttered.

Rockslide rounded up the scientists and began questioning them as Smith accessed the computers. "What's goin' on, 'ere? Why does the Emperor care so much 'bout this place?" demanded the large man.

A blonde scientist resisted, but the other two were more than willing to answer. They looked like they hadn't slept in months. "We've been developing technology for the Space Program," answered a youngish brunet. "The Emperor is obsessed with seeing his ship completed on time."

"What kinds o' technology 'ave ya been developin'?"

"Primarily," the brown-haired man continued, "we've been working on a brand-new propulsion system; one to rival all others to date. Tell me; are you here to bust us out? I can't stand another one of these sleepless nights!"

Rockslide shrugged, but Nimbus knew that, deep down, the big guy wouldn't confine another human being to this fate. Despite his gruff appearance, the guy had even more heart than Nimbus. "What's so special 'bout this propulsion system?"

The third scientist, a red-haired female, answered. "It goes fast; really fast. It cuts the ETA from here to the sun down to a matter of hours."

Rockslide grew red in the face as he realized the truth of the matter. All this security, all the secrecy – it was all for a fast engine. _What a pain_, he thought. He stared, dumbfounded, at the rocket. He sighed, "Why? Does he want to win a race?"

The woman shrugged. "Ask him yourself, we know nothing of his plans. For all we know, he just wants a nice view of the planetary alignment."

Sid's gaze was torn away from the rocket ship as the scientist piqued his interest. "Planetary alignment?"

"Yeah, our deadline for the completion of the rocket is set for a couple of days before the alignment. We've no other explanation for this engine other than that," the brunet said.

The rebel leader sighed. "Well, this is what we came for. Time to blow stuff up!" He pulled the dynamite out of his pocket and set it at the edge of laboratory, near the rocket. Sid Highflier sat silent, choking on his own protests.

The three scientists screamed out against the big man's actions. The blonde finally spoke, "No, don't! The system is highly unstable! You'll kill us all!"

Rockslide did not relent. He had come here to destroy the Emperor's prize and that was what he was going to do. "This bomb's goin' off whether ya like it or not. So, methinks we ought to get moving… now!"

(**Author's Note:** From what I understand, the distance between the sun and earth is so vast that it could take days, maybe even years, to travel between them. I really don't know if it's physically possible to cut that time down to hours, but for the sake of this fic, I'll pretend it is.)


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy 7 and all is associated characters, location, etc… are property of Square Enix.

**Peace's End**

**By tfa1**

Chapter 11: Who's Smiling Now?

"Tick tock, tick tock…" Smith was a bundle of glee as the rebel group and their scientist 'hostages' fled the Space Program Facility, which was set to detonate any time now. "Man, this takes me back…"

The group was much surprised and relieved to find the elevator still functional. Surely by now a stray guard would have raised an alarm or something of the sort, but it seemed that Smith had rapidly cleared the halls while Taefis and Nimbus fought the Guard Scorpion. For a cat, he was proving to be a valuable ally. If only all robotic cats were so useful…

Captain Sid tried in vain to escape the clutches of Taefis and take off in the rocket, but his wounded leg and fear of the upcoming explosion managed to keep him in the company of his friends. They took the elevator to the top floor, but instead of exiting out the way they had entered from, where the wreckage of a dropship awaited, Smith took a detour, locating a secure door complete with keypad. He punched in the code, and led the rest of his friends out onto a steel walkway that led to the edge of the Crater. Two guards stood beside the door. Smith dispatched one while Taefis slew the other. They ran to the edge of the walkway and proceeded down a path encircling the steep Crater wall.

A tremor shook the Crater as the dynamite exploded, taking the unstable rocket engine with it. Fire burst out of the top of the facility, as if the Crater was an active volcano, and showered the surrounding landscape with debris. The top of the Crater burst apart, sending great chunks of earth flying outwards while flames licked the Crater wall. The ground shook violently; and the path ROCKSLIDE was traversing began to break as pieces were sent tumbling downward.

Rockslide stared up, watching in horror as his handiwork roared with flame. "By the Planet, what've I done?"

Within minutes, the Space Program Facility was destroyed and the small group of rebels stood, stranded on a broken path around the hostile Northern Crater.

- - -

Dr. Bugen had just finished his tuna sandwich when a series of shockwaves rocked the restaurant he was dining in. Together, Joseph and he rushed to the window in time to witness the emergence of Hell itself from their former workplace. Debris rained upon Icicle Inn as the lip of the Crater was blown clean off.

The professor watched as his entire life went up in smoke. The propulsion system; the schematics – they were gone forever. The Emperor would have his head for this. He cursed himself for letting the old geezer finish his sandwich, for death by the flame was especially favourable to whatever the Emperor would have in store.

Dr. Bugen sighed as he shook his head in grief. "Those fools… I told them to keep the system away from an open flame. Those poor, poor, brilliant idiots… Such a pathetic waste of life…"

Joseph did not move from the window as the older man returned to his position by the table. Smoke billowed from the structure they had temporarily called home. "My career…" Joseph choked, "All my work… is gone…"

Bugen bowed his head in remembrance of the three scientists he thought were now dead. "It's always sad to see life end so prematurely… but at least I can live with the hope they will return anew to live a new life, in a time that, I am hopeful, will be better than this one."

At last the professor returned to his seat across from Bugen, and as he gazed upon the old man his hopes brightened considerably. "Doctor," he started to ask, "Exactly what do you keep on that laptop of yours?"

The good doctor continued to mope. "I keep all my research there… to be able to analyze and correct any flaws while away from the lab… Those poor, poor, souls…"

As Joseph heard these words, a smile consumed his scowl, and he looked out the window where his helicopter waited. As luck would have it, his security escort had begun prepping the chopper in order to investigate the Crater, but the professor had other ideas. Moving too fast for the elderly Bugen to stop him, Joseph snatched his laptop and made a mad dash for the readied helicopter. He had taken off and was heading back towards the Western Continent before the doctor so much as lifted his head to watch.

"Always in a hurry…" Bugen lamented, "What a fool he is…"

- - -

Propelled by his desire to outrun Bugen before he'd have time to react, Joseph had opted to escape in the close-at-hand and prepared helicopter. The doctor could care less, because he had something even better. On the other side of Icicle Inn (which wasn't that far, to tell the truth) was a landing platform, upon which was Bugen's prized jewel.

It was called the _Skyshredder_, and it was an airship that Professor Joseph had so generously left Dr. Bugen alone with.

A crew of some of his best friends awaited the doctor onboard the airship. He hovered in his chair over to the bridge, which was fantastically large and surrounded by a sphere of glass. Within the glassy sphere was a platform with railings (it didn't reach all the way to the glass – allowing for a 180 degree view of what lay before the _Skyshredder_), atop which an upraised pilot's seat boasted the ship's controls.

The pilot, a young man in his twenties, saluted the doctor as he floated nearer. "Orders, doctor?" asked he.

Dr. Bugen smiled weakly at the young pilot. "Set a course for the Northern Crater. This will be a search-and-rescue mission."

Soon after, the _Skyshredder_ was poised above the former Space Program Facility, overlooking the destruction. The doctor stared in dismay at the ruins; no one could have survived in there… Just as he was about to give up hope of finding any survivors, the young pilot informed him of a small group of people, marooned on a ledge that had once circled the Crater.

"Confirmed, sir; three scientists and a number of air force personnel are down there."

Dr. Bugen smiled. "Those fools… Those lucky, lucky fools… I believe a rescue operation is in order, captain."

"Sir, right away, sir!"

- - -

Reunited with the kindly doctor, each of the three scientists gave him, and the ROCKSLIDE group, a hug. Everyone aboard the _Skyshredder_ was happy to be alive. However, Dr. Bugen was no fool, and he quickly determined what had transpired beneath the facility.

"You're the ones responsible for this mess, aren't you?" he asked the rebels before him. "The Imperial Air Force never had any business at the facility, and yet here you are. Do you have any idea how many good men and women you've killed here, today?"

Rockslide didn't answer, hanging his head in shame. Even Taefis, once so proud and domineering, remained utterly silent. No one spoke, and a frown had invaded the face of the doctor that had once been so cheerful.

Smith tried weakly to respond, "We only wanted to hurt the Empire…"

The doctor scoffed. "You haven't hurt the Empire at all this day. The schematics for that rocket are currently in a helicopter bound for the Western Continent. Construction will soon begin on a new rocket and everything will proceed as if you'd never even done anything. You've accomplished nothing other than wasting lives."

Suddenly the Taefis everyone knew sprung back to life. "And what would you have us do, huh? How do you propose we undo our mistake?"

Dr. Bugen let his gaze fall to the floor and closed his eyes. "You're right… the past cannot be undone." He looked Taefis straight in the eye, his frown disappearing ever so slightly. "This Empire you wish to defeat… it's caused nothing but pain. So much pain, in fact, that I'm forced to admit you've done many of my colleagues a favour by releasing them from the shackles of this torment. I… I'd forgotten that death is a natural part of life… Still… this senseless killing must end. Your cause is admirable but your actions have proven moronic. When fighting a beast you do not steal its candy. What you've accomplished will prove but a minor annoyance to the Emperor. Planet willing, I'll help you end this madness."

At once Smith jumped with glee. "Dr. Bugen's right! We need to go for the heart of the beast! There's no solution to this situation other than to siege the Imperial Palace!"

Bugen shook his head in disagreement. "The Emperor is a powerful man. I doubt you'd be able to stop him that easily," he explained.

But Smith wouldn't give up. "It's the only way! Either we stop him ourselves, or we stop him with a war. If you're as life-loving as you appear, then I'm positive we can convince ya to help us do this."

"Yeah!" exclaimed Nimbus in support of his friend. "It's now or never! It's time we crushed the Empire at its source!"

The doctor conceded. "I hate to say it, but you're right. The Emperor cannot be defeated without force, and that necessitates a loss of life." He paused. "To end the pain; the suffering; you'll have to inflict pain and suffering of your own. Fate is a cruel master… I'll take you to Stratus Palace, in return for a promise. I want you all to promise me that you'll crush the Empire, in memory of those that died serving it."

"We promise," Nimbus said.

Dr. Bugen nodded. "Then, let's be off. Captain, set a course for the Western Continent; let's bring light back to those poor citizens. Ho ho ho! Now, who wants to hear a story about my cat?"

(**Author's Note**: Basically, the bridge of the _Skyshredder_ is based off of the _Ulysses_ from Disney's Atlantis: the Lost Empire.)


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy 7 and all is associated characters, location, etc… are property of Square Enix.

**Author's Note**: Revision! I've removed a section of Bugen's dialogue that ultimately turned out to be useless information, and expanded the story he tells to Zax just a little. In addition, I've modified some of the dialogue between the Emperor and Professor Joseph, making sure to point out what the mural behind the former's throne really is.

**Peace's End**

**By tfa1**

Chapter 12: The Harbinger of Despair

No man chooses evil because it is evil; he only mistakes it for happiness, the good that he seeks.

- Mary Wollstonecraft

- - -

Professor Joseph strolled into the Emperor's throne room confidently. Bugen's laptop under his arm, he was positive that the Emperor would reward him handsomely for saving the complete schematics for the Space Program. Sure enough, the Emperor was in one of his best moods.

"Well done, Professor," he said as he welcomed Joseph, "In wake of this set-back, it's refreshing to know that at least one man is doing his job correctly."

The professor bowed his head, "Thank you, Your Highness. I have already taken the liberty of initiating construction on a new rocket in the old Rocket Town. I expect it will be completed on time, as per your demands."

"Good. I expect a second rocket to be built here, as well. I will not have a repeat of this fiasco, left without a ship." The Emperor stood up and walked over to the professor. "The laptop stays with me."

"Yes, sire," Joseph voiced as he handed over the computer.

"I've been thinking, Professor," the Emperor mused slowly, "Perhaps you're right; I should add Sephiroth to that mural behind my throne."

"Why's that, my emperor?"

The man clad in darkness gazed thoughtfully at the painting of Jenova. "Jenova and Sephiroth are inseparable; they exist as a singular entity. Jenova is pure of body, a viral entity that seeks to destroy; while Sephiroth is pure of mind and will, continuing to survive even after his apparent deaths. Together, they are virtually unstoppable. Jenova cells – parts of her body – live on through him and, I suspect, his consciousness thrives within her."

"You seem to know an awful lot about them, sire."

The Emperor let out a slight giggle, so unexpected that Joseph nearly fell to the floor. "There is no reason why they shouldn't be studied… because they've won… The despair Sephiroth sought to spread has been sown by my hands. Do you know what despair is, Professor?"

Joseph scoffed, "Please don't insult me with such a simple question, my emperor."

"You may have brains, Professor, but you lack understanding. You do not yet know the true meaning of despair." The Emperor turned to look at the scientist, and the dark-haired man could have sworn he saw the eyes beneath the dark helmet glow with malice.

"I take it that you understand despair better than anyone?"

The Emperor turned to face the mural once again. "You don't know what it's like… to lose everything you've ever cared for and then watch others enjoy what you can never have. I've fixed all that. Now no one will ever be happy again, and soon all shall share in my unquenchable sorrow. Jenova shall return to wreak havoc on the entire Planet, and none will be able to oppose us…"

"Us?"

The Emperor ignored him as he continued to speak. "I am pleased… the propulsion system is fully designed and ready for assembly. However, I regret to inform you, Professor, that your usefulness to me is now ended." He paused as he stared at the laptop's happy face. "I've seen this laptop once before in the hands of Dr. Bugen. So, my little thief, do you still believe that you understand despair?"

As he prepared to run, the Professor silently cursed himself as he foolishly stared into the eyes of the Jenova mural behind the Emperor's throne. He couldn't pull away… he was trapped within himself; hypnotized into submission.

"By the way," continued the Emperor, "that is no mere mural… Say hello to Mother."

Professor Joseph, former Head of the Space Program, was never seen by humankind again.

- - -

Nimbus browsed the _Skyshredder's_ weapon cache as he searched for a sword to replace the one he'd forgotten in the Guard Scorpion's head. Each was unique in style and name, but Nimbus decided to choose a sword of the same shape and size as _Despair_. His selection was, unsurprisingly, named _Agony_.

Sword in hand, Nimbus returned to the bridge to watch the sky as the airship passed through the air. Dr. Bugen, passing the time, informed ROCKSLIDE of the events that transpired 700 years ago, and told them of his reincarnation theory. Everyone listened in fascination.

"Nimbus," he said, "It would seem that you are the reincarnation of Cloud Strife, one of the greatest heroes ever known. Oh ho hoh! He suffered from an identity crisis, just like you, when his home was attacked by Sephiroth. You, Rockslide, are a spitting image of Barret Wallace, the rebel leader of AVALANCHE. Highflier is the reincarnation of Cid Highwind, an expert, albeit vulgar, pilot. Our cat Smith is Cait Sith, the manually-controlled Shinra spy employed by Reeve. Everything seems fine with you four, but… there's something wrong here… Taefis, I had thought you might be the heroes Tifa and Aeris returned in a single body, but this just doesn't make sense. Something has altered the threads of destiny and now two separate spirits exist as one… and with a completely different personality. I just don't know what to make of it… Yuffie and Vincent seem to be missing, but I'm positive you'll run into them soon enough."

Before anyone knew it, the _Skyshredder_ had arrived at the Western Continent, and was docking on a platform suspended from the Sky high above the ground. An elevator ran down to the former Gold Saucer, now Stratus Palace. The former amusement park looked nothing like it used to. Numerous additions to the structure had made it much more complex than it had ever been before, but it still gleamed with gold.

A lone guard stood upon the landing platform. _Too easy…_, Rockslide thought to himself.

Dr. Bugen hovered out to meet the guard, gesturing to the rebel group to remain inside the ship. "Oh ho hoh! It's a beautiful day, today," he said.

The guard nodded. "Pleasure to see you again, doctor. I heard about the incident and I'm glad to see you're still alive."

The old man smiled, "That's very kind of you, Zax. Listen, my entourage and I need passage into the Palace to speak with the Emperor. I trust it won't be too much of a problem."

"I'm afraid I can't allow that, sir," he replied as he shook his head, "You know as well as I do that, of your crew, you are the only one authorized to enter."

The doctor's smile widened. "Oh ho hoh! You're always on top of things, I see. It's a shame that my hoverchair has been malfunctioning periodically ever since the explosion, otherwise I'd go alone. If you really can't accommodate my helpers, then I'll come back when my chair's fully operational."

Dr. Bugen's chair hit the ground as he feigned a malfunction. "Goodness me, that's a shame…" he said.

"Do you need any help?" security guard Zax asked.

"No, no, I'm perfectly fine. To tell you the truth, we haven't had a heart-to-heart talk in quite some time. You've never told me about your childhood. I remember mine like it was yesterday… My cat (Otis was his name) and I were walking down Main Street, searching for a candy store, when all of a sudden the ice cream man showed up with everything on sale. Naturally, I didn't have any money with me, so I had to run all the way home and beg my mum for cash. But when I got there, I noticed Otis was missing, and I was so distraught I forgot about the ice cream and went off on a grand search across uncharted lands and… "

A deafening snore convinced Dr. Bugen that Zax had fallen asleep. After gently pilfering the sleeping guard's ID card, Bugen rushed back into the _Skyshredder_, woke up the members of ROCKSLIDE (who had also dozed off listening to the story), and gave them instructions. Handing them the ID card, he told them this: "This card will grant you access to the lift, but nothing else. You'll have to make your own way around the rest of the palace. Be very careful – there's no telling what the Emperor has in store for unwanted 'guests.'"

With that, he waved goodbye to them and watched as they descended into the Palace.

It was not long before ROCKSLIDE reached the Palace's main lobby, but what they encountered there caught them purely by surprise. "Welcome, ROCKSLIDE, to Stratus Palace," said the Emperor standing before them. A semi-circle of elite guards surrounded the elevator opening, their weapons at the ready. "We've been expecting you."


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy 7 and all its associated characters, locations, etc… are property of Square Enix.

**Author's Note**: I'm beginning to feel insecure; I'm not getting many reviews. It's refreshing to know that at least one person out there likes my story so far, but I wish more people would give me some feedback. I'm hopeful that this chapter will rake in some reviews.

And now for the main event! It's only just begun…

**Peace's End**

**By tfa1**

Chapter 13: Betrayal

The guards lined the rebels along the wall of the lobby, as if prepping them for a firing squad. The Emperor had other ideas as to what he would do with his new prisoners, however.

Walking before them, the harbinger of despair paused to examine each member of ROCKSLIDE, eyeing each as if he knew everything there was to know about them. "Bart 'the Wall' Rockslide, I imagine; the witness reports don't do you justice. You're more of a brute than I had ever pictured."

The dark-skinned rebel leader snarled, unsuccessfully trying to intimidate the Emperor. "Brute or not, you're still the foulest thing I ever did see!"

The Emperor let out a slight chuckle. "It's a pleasure to meet you, too." He proceeded on to the next rebel: Captain Sid Highflier, who was struggling to stand on his wounded leg. "I remember you… vaguely. Funny that you'd blow up my rocket rather than steal it."

The captain spat at the Emperor, unfortunately losing his cigar as he did so. He watched it clatter to the ground and turned red in the face. The Emperor stood and stared at the hapless captain, and the latter could have sworn he saw a grin through the armoured man's helmet. Continuing on, the Emperor came face-to-face with Nimbus. "Well, well, well; I know _your_ face, too. I thought we had gotten rid of you, but it would seem as if you really are simply too difficult to kill. Those fools at the lab did their job too well."

"What do you mean?" Nimbus asked.

"I wouldn't expect you to know anything about it. We'll have time to discuss this later, but I have business to attend to. Guards! This one goes to the throne room." He continued walking, coming at last to Smith. He chuckled again. "An outdated Imperial spy; how ironic that you'd join forces with your replacement." He said as he looked once more to Nimbus.

The cat didn't answer.

Last but not least, he faced Taefis, and stopped dead in his tracks. "Your face… I know that face…" He spun around quickly, avoiding Taefis's glare. "The girl goes to my throne, as well. Send the rest to the dungeon."

- - -

He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.

- Friedrich Nietzsche

- - -

Nimbus regained consciousness in the Emperor's throne room. Bound, he was unable to move, but managed to spot Taefis situated beside the Emperor's desk. She was tied up too, but currently unconscious. The entrance to the throne room was on Nimbus's right, and standing in the doorway was the Emperor. He was talking to someone, but Nimbus couldn't see who it was.

"You've done very well. At long last the final rebel group left within the Empire is within my custody, and it's all thanks to you. You're sure these are all the members of ROCKSLIDE?" No answer came; Nimbus assumed that the listener had nodded.

The Emperor continued to speak to his silent companion, "Excellent. I imagine you'll want your reward, then." He paused. The sound of paper rustling reached Nimbus's ears as the Emperor handed the stranger a form. "The preparations have been made. Once they receive this authorization everything will proceed as you have requested. Still I wonder… is this sheet of paper really worth the betrayal of your friends?"

The Emperor chuckled soon afterwards. He seemed to be laughing often, like one who was insane. "Of course, how could I forget? Those robots are more important to you. What are friends compared to family?"

A pair of furry feet scampered away into the darkness, and Nimbus let his head hang as the sounds of footsteps echoed within his mind. The Imperial spy had finally betrayed them to his master…

- - -

The Emperor re-entered the throne room and stood in front of Nimbus. The prisoner weakly looked upwards to meet the figure's eyes.

"So, you heard that, then. It shouldn't come as a surprise; he's the reincarnation of a traitor. You were a fool to have trusted him, but at least now you can find out what you really are. That's what you want, isn't it?"

Nimbus dropped his head again. He nodded with difficulty.

"You are a super-soldier, injected with Jenova cells and infused with mako energy. Anyone familiar with history has heard about the Jenova Project; I've simply rekindled it in modern times, and you are the product of its reinstatement." Nimbus didn't respond. "Those feline spies, of whom your friend, Smith, is one, were excellent at what they did, but they lacked the power and terrifying presence necessary to conquer Wutai. As such, you were created as their replacement.

"However, not all went as planned. You proved too strong to control, and soon the entire science department was calling for your elimination; even while sedated you still proved difficult to handle. Your creator, Professor Ghast, did what he could to destroy you, and for a time I believed he had succeeded. Your presence here today suggests that he failed.

"I cannot blame him, though. The Jenova cells in your body have augmented you with startling regenerative powers, with which I am very familiar. I've been kept alive against my will, tormented by an eternal despair. I just can't keep fighting anymore… it's just too hard…"

"Why are you telling me this?" Nimbus asked, without looking up.

The Emperor sat down on the floor, looking utterly ridiculous. "I do it because _she_ commands me to do it. Jenova guides me, and soon she shall guide you, too. I'm sure you'll resist – we all do – but your power will not save you. Power tends to corrupt… a fact that has been taught to me the hard way."

The bald man looked up at the Emperor's helmet. Within it, he saw the tell-tale gleam of mako emanating from his eyes. "Dr. Bugen thought you might be the reincarnation of Shinra, but I see now that you're really Sephiroth…"

The Emperor stood up, laughing maniacally. "Sephiroth? _Sephiroth_? Don't kid yourself; I am far more than Sephiroth ever was. _I_ have influenced the Planet in ways that Sephiroth had never even dreamed! I have shattered the web of destiny itself, a fact embodied by my dear female friend who has been so kind as to join us today. I'll give you another guess, just for fun."

Nimbus thought long and hard, trying to think of any other villains Bugen had mentioned. Suddenly it struck him. This Emperor had been kept alive despite his wishes… but he didn't say how long it had been. The threads of destiny had been jostled… was that because a man from the past had fashioned for himself a new destiny?

And then there was the mention of despair. "It can't be… Vincent Valentine?"

The Emperor guffawed even harder, as if his true identity couldn't be more obvious. "Him? You think _I'm_ the human mannequin? That's a nifty guess but I'm insulted at your lack of perception. No, dear Sephiroth clone… I am not he. _Nimbus_ Air Force Base, _Stratus_ Palace – did you ever stop to wonder why I named those facilities after different types of clouds?"

Nimbus's eyes grew wide as the Emperor ripped off his helmet, revealing an effeminate face and a full head of spiky blonde hair. "I am Emperor Strife, the puppet that cannot escape. And as for you…I'd always wondered when I'd see you again, Sephiroth."

(**Author's Note**: Part of Sephiroth's consciousness still exists within Jenova, as stated in Chapter 12; therefore I have an excuse for why Nimbus doesn't act like his former self – he's not completely whole. As for Cloud, I think I should explain myself before anyone explodes, assuming people still care for him. Think of Cloud's resolve as a rock, and Jenova as the water. Over the course of 700 years, Jenova has eroded Cloud's ability to resist her.

For those of you with a keen eye, you may have also noted that the password to the platform security terminal, cumulus, is actually the name of another type of cloud. I've done my best to foreshadow this to ease the blow, starting with the removal of Nimbus's hair. I told you I'd try to make this different… Please try to keep any reviews spoiler-free.)


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy 7 and all its associated characters, locations, etc… are property of Square Enix.

**Author's Note**: Thanks again, Maux, for your feedback. I guess it comes as no surprise that my narrative isn't as good as it could be; seeing as how this is my first time writing and I lack the necessary experience. A rewrite sounds good, but first I need to discover exactly how I'm going to make this better. Starts off a bit too slow, I guess… need to change that…

Regardless, here are some answers to questions I've created. Enjoy!

**Peace's End**

**By tfa1**

Chapter 14: An Identity Revealed

It was easily apparent that, no matter how strange the method, the Emperor was the undisputed master of torture. Sid and Bart were alone in the dungeons, finding their new accommodations less than inviting (it was dungeon after all), but soon they were faced with a fate that would have driven them insane.

It was kids' music; no, not even that. It was music for babies.

At first it was quaint and extremely ridiculous, but when a single babies' song repeats over and over and over, there are few that will not contemplate suicide. Hours they listened to it, unable to stop the melody and, worse, it would repeat in their minds even if they covered their ears. Rockslide could have sworn his ears were bleeding.

In short, the Emperor was trying to inflict them with a shell shock of a different kind. Even as night took hold, the melody continued, burning itself into their brains; branding them with its tune. The pair couldn't sleep, and eventually they found themselves both wishing for Rockslide's loud snores.

Their one saving grace was that there were no guards around. In fact, they didn't think there were guards anywhere nearby. Any grown adult would have been unable to tolerate the endless tune.

That's why they praised the powers that be when the music stopped. They didn't know what caused it, but they were ecstatic nonetheless. The rebel leader began to dance around in a joyous frenzy, eventually collapsing against the cell door.

Much to his amazement, the door opened beneath the force of his fall and he hit his head on the ground. Highflier gaped in awe, but that was probably due to inebriation.

Feeling lucky, Rockslide picked his friend off the floor and cautiously exited the dungeon cell. He followed the only path presented to him, grateful because he didn't know his way around. Sid's head bobbed up and down, but as they approached a fork in the road he managed to articulate a single word (if you could even call it that) which sounded like 'left.'

He took the left path, finding a left turn at the end in addition to a small guard outpost situated in the wall. A door was set in the wall, and to its left was a window looking into the post. Rockslide could make out the lights of a computer, but he couldn't see a guard. Amazed to find this door unlocked as well, he walked into the small room, raising his gun-arm despite the pain that tormented his shoulder.

A guard lay on the floor, presumably dead, with his tongue hanging out. His swivel chair had its back facing them, but they soon discovered there was someone sitting in it. They couldn't see his face, but they instantly knew who it was. "Well, then… if I'm going to show you a door it's best that I have the key, if you catch my drift. We don't need no stinking ID cards!"

The chair turned, slowly, to reveal a rather pleased black cat.

- - -

Nimbus glared at the Emperor as he paced around the throne room. He'd done that for most of the day, ignoring both of his prisoners. Finally, after a few hours (Nimbus didn't know how many), he stopped to speak with them. "You've been awfully quiet," he said.

"I don't understand how you're still alive," replied Nimbus.

The eyes of Cloud began to twitch as he recalled his past. "Jenova cells are viral in nature. When infecting a host body, the virus reproduces within the host's cells, eventually destroying them. Over time, my entire body has been replaced with alien matter… I… I've become the very monster I sought to destroy…"

Nimbus continued to glare at the Emperor. "I thought... I thought the Jenova cells were destroyed along with Geostigma. How… how can they still be there? What of the other Geostigma sufferers?"

A frown engulfed the face of Cloud Strife. "Aeris's Great Gospel… it could never purge the body of Jenova cells. Sephiroth and I alone were able to resist the influence of Jenova, and because of that we never fell at her hands during a Reunion. Sephiroth is dead… the lucky worm… but I have grown so powerful that even I cannot kill myself."

He approached Taefis, who was still chained to the side of his desk.

"And yet, despite everything I've been through, this woman confounds me. I knew I had influenced the Planet but… I had no idea it would end like this. Two souls fused in one body; how can it be?" The Emperor shook his head. Addressing Taefis, he said, "It doesn't matter anymore… You can't save me. I know you tried… I know you tried… I have simply grown tired of fighting for something that can never exist."

A dirty look was Taefis's only response.

Emperor Strife sighed. "Your face brought some joy back into my life, but I can see now that you're not Tifa; nor are you Aeris. No one, not even you, can take their place. Despair has consumed you too; despair and pride… We will end your despair… soon…"

"Get away from her!" Nimbus screamed. The Emperor watched in amusement as the man broke out of his shackles, possessed with an inhuman and enraged strength. He charged at Cloud, but the latter was quick to turn his sword against the escapee. He had taken the sword, _Agony_, as his own.

The Emperor's eyes gleamed with mako, "Sephiroth never knew when to quit, too."

"Don't worry about me," Taefis yelled. "Save yourself!"

Nimbus nodded before turning to run, admitting that he didn't have enough power to defeat the man in front of him. Cloud did not pursue, but rather he jammed the sword into the ground. He had more important matters to attend to. "It's strange that you'd sacrifice your life for that of a villain…"

"The only villain here is you! You killed my parents."

Cloud turned towards her, placing his helmet back upon his head. "I may not be the Cloud I once was, but I can assure you that your parents did not die by my hands. I have not altered destiny quite that far."

"Then _who_ did?"

"Didn't you study history? Sephiroth kills Tifa' parents; he destroys the village." He pointed at the doorway Nimbus had fled through. "The man you just saved is your parents' murderer."

- - -

"You backstabbin' traitor!" Rockslide yelled; Highflier now propped up against a wall.

A grin crossed Smith's face. "Traitor? I promised Nimbus I would locate his identity and here we are with complete access to the Imperial database. I betrayed you so that I could get inside and betray the Empire."

"You're even worse than I could've imagined!"

The cat turned his swivel chair to face the computer. "I've heard it all before. Call me what you want, I don't care about it anymore. I've accomplished what I set out to accomplish – I can die happy now. My family has been freed, but I'd like to see ya find your freedom without my help."

The large man snorted. "You're a real pain in the…"

"No profanity, please," the cat interrupted, "I'm trying to work." He typed for a few minutes as Rockslide waited impatiently. Finally he called out in victory, "Aha, I found him!

Name: Zephyr-Oh dear this is getting complicated."

Rockslide moved to see what Smith was talking about. He nearly fainted. "Holy Gaia! That's totally whacked! Anything else important?"

"Age: Old enough

Birth date: We don't owe him birthday presents if he doesn't know when it is.

Sex: Virgin

Profession: Super-soldier prototype

Ooh, says here that he was involved in an ability exam that got way out of hand."

Rockslide almost choked on his tongue. "Gongaga? So that means that the baldie… Oh merciful Planet…"

"We'd best keep this quiet…"

- - -

"Zephyr?"

"Yes," the Emperor replied to Taefis's question. "My researchers tested his abilities in your hometown, but he quickly lost control. You've probably noticed by now that he's not exactly 100 sane. Obsession with the sky; fear of plants – his mind isn't in tip-top shape. That's why he attacked and killed most of the citizens of your home. We tried to contain him… but he has the power of Sephiroth bubbling within him."

"Then," she asked, "Why has everyone tried to keep this a secret? Why's it so difficult to tell me that a serial killer murdered my parents?"

Cloud Strife laughed quietly, seemingly ignoring her. "A gang leader complained about you not too long ago saying you were the strongest and fastest woman he'd ever seen in his life. Your power and speed have become legendary among the people of New Corel. You fought with all the fury and pride of Sephiroth himself. One might think you were… oh, I don't know… related to him." Taefis closed her eyes and began to weep as the Emperor's revelation took hold. He bent close to Taefis; letting his breath condense on her face. "How does it feel to be the sister of a monster?"

(**Author's Note**: That last bit was kind of random, I know, but I needed a suitable reason for why it was such a dark secret. The 'I am your father' bit is rather cliché, so I went with this.)


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy 7 and all is associated characters, location, etc… are property of Square Enix.

**Author's Note**: I used a thesaurus for this chapter. Hopefully it helps make it better. I'm extremely lousy at making small talk in real life, so I blame that as the reason for my short chapters.

**Peace's End**

**By tfa1**

Chapter 15: Sanctuary

Zephyr Locke… the man who had murdered his own parents…

He raced through the ominous hallways of Stratus Palace, still unaware of his true name and the heinous crimes he had committed against Taefis. "Nimbus… I'm Nimbus, reincarnation of Cloud…" he muttered to himself. "I'm not evil…"

But even as he said these things he knew they weren't true. He could feel Sephiroth's dark will creeping up to meet his own; trying to take control. He fought it; fought the urge to destroy, but he knew deep down that this was who he was – or rather, who he was meant to be. It was, as they say, his destiny to destroy. He was Jenova's chosen one; the crazed madman chosen to smite the masses with her carnage.

The beast's voice echoed in his head – or was it his own? – turning him against himself; wearing away his resolve. His confusion tore him apart as he wandered, trying to find an escape. A number of guards stood in his way, but the strength of his alter-ego crackled about the air as it became palpable, tearing his enemies limb from limb. He ran on, fighting himself and those in his way, desperately trying to deny his existence.

"I'm not evil… I'm not evil…"

He spotted three of his friends through the corner of his eye. "Zephyr!" the cat cried, but the man once known as Nimbus kept running. So that was his name… Zephyr…

His friends called after him, but he didn't turn to meet them. He didn't want to hurt them. An aura of darkness engulfed him… and he was unable to control it. Terror seized his mind as the voices kept speaking to him, urging him on. Zephyr's power unleashed itself upon the wall in front of him, providing an escape route to the desert below. Zephyr Locke didn't look back as he jumped out of the hole and disappeared into the shadows beneath the Sky.

- - -

Sid Highflier, Bart Rockslide, and Smith the cat could only assume Zephyr had been told everything by the Emperor. They watched him as he jumped out a hole in the wall, and decided they'd best not follow. Perhaps Zephyr could survive the fall, but the three friends that were left to stare after him weren't augmented with Jenova cells.

They continued on, led by Smith whose memories of the Palace blueprints were as clear as if he had them directly in front of his eyes. Together they located the elevator that would take them up to Dr. Bugen, but guards were crawling around the area. They seemed to be waiting for the lift; hence they didn't notice the escaped rebels. A pre-emptive strike was possible. Even so, Rockslide's wounded arm and Highflier's useless leg led Smith to determine it was a fight they couldn't win, so he opted for another escape route: the one leading to New Corel.

Running through the building made unnecessarily complicated by numerous renovations, the rebels backtracked through the Palace. Dead guards littered the floor with their corpses and blood: Zephyr's handiwork. Rockslide, in spite of his boorish countenance, was deeply disturbed by the atrocities that lay before him. He knew the skinny whelp was a freak of nature, but this… this was a slaughter fit for the most feral savage.

Upon passing more corpses, the troupe came face-to-face with a strange lift device. It was large and blue, connected to a thick cable on each side. Smith quickly terminated the few security guards, and activated the lift as his friends dove into the contraption. Soon, they were headed for the last place anyone would ever look for safety: New Corel.

- - -

One of the Palace's guards burst into the throne room unannounced, panting. Upon his face was an expression of fear. The Emperor was seated at his throne, contemplating.

"Sir," the guard said, "The prisoners have escaped, sir! One man identified as Zephyr… vaulted out of a hole in the wall, sir, but the rest have not been located. We've placed the entire military on red alert; the army is out searching for Zephyr. All possible escape routes are being secured as we speak by the Palace guards."

Emperor Strife didn't look up. "Pursue the ROCKSLIDE rebel group. Send the army after them."

"What about Zephyr, my emperor?"

"Zephyr will no longer be a hindrance to us. There is strength in numbers, and for all his power I still believe that the rebel group personifies our greatest threat. Besides, Zephyr will soon be taken care of. I have the personal assurances of a famous hunter that he will not escape the continent."

"I don't know any famous hunters. With all due respect, sir, I've reviewed the contents of his file and I doubt a mere hunter could triumph over him."

The Emperor turned his head towards the side of his desk. Taefis, with her chains now piled at her feet, stood up. Cloud Strife suppressed a maniacal laugh as he spoke. "This hunter is… special; far more effective than anything money can buy. Revenge is on the menu tonight, and it's going to be served cold…"

- - -

"When a body passes away, its Spirit Energy returns to the Planet whence it came, to collect into what is known as the Lifestream. The Lifestream, it is said by many, functions as the very soul of the Planet; a soul known throughout the world as Gaia. This conglomeration of Spirit Energy, acting as one, can provide healing to the Planet's injuries and also acts as a treasure-trove of sorts for all of the Planet's knowledge.

"Events throughout history have forced many humans to accept a simple notion: the Planet is not invincible; despite the Lifestream that courses within it. The Planet, like the life that dwells atop it, will one day die.

"But, when a Planet dies, where does it go?

"Where does its Gaia go?

"Speculation runs rampant as to where this vast collection of knowledge and Spirit Energy will arrive. To us Godaians, the answer is simple. Inhabitants of the Planet return to the Planet, hence the Planet should return to the Universe it inhabits. Beyond the borders of our vast Universe lies a Lifestream greater than any ever imagined.

"This Lifestream contains an infinite amount of knowledge and guides the destiny of the Universe. It protects and heals just as the Lifestream in the Planet and in our own bodies does. Many have given this Lifestream a name, but to us only one is suitable. To us, there can be no name for this grand spirit other than God."

- Excerpt from the Sacred Tome of the Godaians

- - -

The three members of ROCKSLIDE scrambled out the lift with great haste. "They'll be coming after us soon," said the cat. "We'd best find a hiding place."

"Ah," mused Sid, "Leave that to me. I know the perfect place; on to Nimbus Air Force Base!"

Rockslide almost dropped the handicapped man. "What? Are ya crazy? We're tryin' to run from the Empire, not prance 'round in front o' their military bases!"

"We're not entering the base, you #& retard! There's a church right beside it, and everyone knows that churches are one of the few things still considered sacred by His #& Majesty!"

Smith nodded. "Alrighty, then. Let's get a move on."

Soldiers of all shapes and sizes began to flood into the city as the friends ran for their lives. Luckily, their intact air force uniforms confused a number of military personnel, but that luck was sure to run out soon. A man as large as Rockslide paired with a puny cat was sure to arouse scepticism. Sprinting through the dishevelled concrete jungle, the three spotted a tall white building in the background. A steeple greeted them as they approached, highlighted by the many stained-glass windows depicting men and women of high calibre: the legendary heroes of the Planet. They bolted through the door of the church, glad to be safe at last.

A young bald priest greeted them. "Welcome to the Godaian Church of New Corel. How can I be of service?"

Rockslide clung to the door handles, gasping for breath. "We need… shelter… from the… military…"

"The military?" A look of dismay crossed the young priest's face. "This is definitely not good. Summon the bishop! Summon the bishop!"

Highflier laughed weakly. "There's no need to summon your bishop on our behalf."

But it was too late. A figure dressed in elaborate robes of gold and crimson emerged from one of the doors at the back of the church. His hair was raven black and long, touching all the way to his shoulder blades. In contrast, his face was a sickly white. "Who disturbs my slumber?" he called out. The bishop's voice was deep, extremely deep; as if he'd been granted the voice of God Himself.

Swiftly he marched to the door, an entourage consisting of three priests and a nun in tow. As he caught a better glimpse of the rebels before him, he suddenly stopped, nearly tripping himself in the process.

"Hello there…," said the cat.

The pale-faced bishop stared at them with horror in his eyes. "It seems destiny has finally caught up with me…"

The young priest ignored him. "These men are being pursued by the military," he explained. "What are we going to do, Bishop Valentine?"


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy 7 and all is associated characters, location, etc… are property of Square Enix.

**Author's Note**: Hoo boy… I've just had an eye-opener. It would appear as if I've inadvertently created a Mary Sue, and possibly even a Gary Stu. I will definitely have to change that soon. I hope the plot, spelling, and grammar make up for it.

One question though: am I allowed to have a Mary Sue if she's the reincarnation of a Mary Sue (i.e. Aeris)? Man, I feel like an idiot.

Moving on, I'm quite ecstatic to have more reviewers. Thanks, everyone! I apologize for the delay in updating; I've been busy with other things and experienced some errors while trying to upload. To answer the whole Vincent thing, I'm writing with the assumption that he's immortal and still alive. As for Marlene, I don't know what I'd do to add her into the story at this point. We'll see what happens…

**Peace's End**

**By tfa1**

Chapter 16: The Only Way Out

At once the bishop turned and headed back the way he had come, gesturing for everyone to follow. One of the priests, a dark-haired man, was speaking with the rebels. "Bishop Valentine is the head of our Order, said to be over 700 years old. If anyone will know how to help you, it's him."

Highflier's eyes widened. "Wait, are you trying to tell us that this is _the_ Vincent Valentine?"

The priest placed a finger to his mouth. "That's Bishop Valentine to you," he said, "I suggest you show a little more respect."

"My apologies. I'm Captain Sid Highflier."

"And I am Brother Tson. It is a pleasure to have you with us."

The bishop walked at a quick pace, a scowl upon his face. He led the group following him into the back room of the church, where nine stone coffins, emblazoned with carvings depicting the nine ancient heroes, were set about in a circle. Four of them were empty. Bishop Vincent Valentine continued walking to the back wall without slowing his pace.

"Whose coffin is this?" asked Smith.

The bishop didn't stop. "That's my bed."

"And this one?"

"I haven't seen him for a long time."

"What about this one?"

"Strife dropped her in a pond."

"And this?"

Vincent stopped abruptly and turned to face the irritating feline, his arms crossed. "It'll be yours if you don't shut up."

Rockslide found the situation slightly humorous. "I thought bishops preached 'bout peace an' love an' all that crap."

"Peace and love can only withstand the test of time in fairy tales. There's a time for peace, a time for love, and then there comes a time for fighting." Finally reaching the back wall, he punched it and watched it slide out of the way as it revealed a fantastic cache of guns. "Take what you want."

Sid giggled slightly. "Don't waste any time, do you?"

"700 years is a long time to think about meaningless trivialities. Believe it or not, I'm tired of doing nothing."

Smith pulled out a very impressive-looking shotgun. "I know this is a nice gun and all but… make sure you reserve a coffin for me, just in case."

"The coffin's reserved."

"For who?"

Valentine remained silent for a time before answering. "It's unimportant… Now hurry before the soldiers get here."

"Will you be coming with us?" asked Sid.

"That depends on how I'm feeling."

"And how do you feel?"

"Peachy…" The fashion in which the bishop had his arms crossed told a different story.

Sid raised an eyebrow. "Should I take that as a yes?"

Valentine ignored him. "Your best course of action right now would be to seek shelter in Wutai, but to do that you'll need to escape the Western Continent. There are only two options for getting through the Sky. Seeing as how the military is after you, commandeering military aircraft is not an option open to us."

Rockslide was growing impatient. "So, what's the second option?"

"You'll have to _make_ a path." Vincent Valentine turned to the nun. "Sister Elle, would you please find our explosives?"

"But Your Holiness!" the blonde-haired woman protested, "You said yourself that we should avoid turning to violence!"

Bishop Valentine nodded. "Yes, that's what I said. But it's been said by too many people to ignore: evil thrives because good men do nothing. I learned long ago that no one ever accomplishes anything by lounging."

The priest that had greeted ROCKSLIDE at the door spoke up. "Does this mean you're going to fight, Your Holiness?"

"History is repeating, Brother Rudy. That means that my actions must repeat too. I must fight as I did 700 years ago." Turning to a red-haired priest, the bishop said, "Prepare the helicopter, Brother Red. There is much to be done…"

- - -

Dr. Bugen had fallen asleep, but woke up from his unconscious state when the alarms began to ring. He was deeply startled and dismayed. _Have they been caught?_

Bugen was contemplating leaving when Zax's radio sealed his resolve. All security personnel, this is a priority alert! The prisoner's have escaped. Seize and secure all possible escape routes. Repeat; seize and secure all possible escape routes. 

The doctor realized that the _Skyshredder_ qualified as a possible escape route. Bugen now found himself unarmed and faced with the full fury of the Palace's security; so he decided it would be best to leave. The question he pondered was whether or not he should take Zax with him. The security guard would be branded a traitor if he left his post, and there was no guarantee he'd let Bugen leave, but he'd also be executed for incompetence if the _Skyshredder_ escaped.

_What to do? What to do?_ Bugen asked himself.

A plethora of newly arrived security officials prematurely ended the doctor's deliberations. Bugen attempted to flee, provoking the unruly guards to open fire. Although Zax was a loud snorer, the gunfire was loud enough to wake him up. Acting on reflex, he indiscriminately began firing his weapon into the cluster of his co-workers.

That settled it. Zax was now a traitor.

Bugen called out to his friend from the ramp of the _Skyshredder_, hoping that he would come to his senses and run. Zax stopped firing as he realized who he was shooting, but his former friends were not sympathetic. Fleeing from his new enemies, security guard Zax opted to escape with Dr. Bugen.

Bullets ricocheted off of the airship's hull, but take-off was successful, and everyone aboard remained unharmed.

"Where to, Doctor?" asked the young captain.

The doctor answered, "Up. We go up! Set a course for the top of the Sky. There are too many defences stationed around the plate's perimeter, so we have no choice but to settle where they can't target us."

"Then, how are we going to escape?"

The doctor closed his eyes and thought. "We're trapped until the power is cut to the targeting systems. Its times like this that make we wish I hadn't stripped the ship of all advanced weaponry, so we'll just have to sit and wait. Maybe there's a God out there who will save us."

- - -

The Godaian helicopter was an old piece of junk, neither equipped with weapons nor counted among the vessels allowed to leave the Western Continent. It was good for nothing other than travelling around said continent, but that was perfectly acceptable to Bishop Valentine. He'd planned for this setback.

The nun that Vincent called Sister Elle was speaking to the rebels. "After Bishop Valentine has reached his destination, we're going to head east until we arrive at the edge of the Sky. The explosives His Holiness stashed away will be used to open a path through the plate. Once on the other side, we'll be free to travel as we please."

"The bishop's not coming with us?" Sid asked.

"The plate is heavily guarded," answered Valentine. "You're not getting out until I take out the power. Father Sufur and the rest of my Order will see you all safely to Wutai."

"Do you really think you can take out the Central Power Hub all by yourself?"

The faintest hint of a smile crossed the bishop's stoic face. "I have my ways, Captain."


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy 7 and all its associated characters, locations, etc… are property of Square Enix.

**Author's Note**: I'm slightly confused, Mr. Ite, by your request to keep Sephiroth out of the story. I'm going to assume that you mean you don't want the original to come back, because I've already brought Sephiroth's reincarnation into my tale.

If that's the case, you don't have to worry. Strangely enough, I'm more of a Jenova fan, and I'd sooner bring back the original Jenova augmented with Sephiroth's consciousness rather than Sephiroth with Jenova's body. To bring back either would, admittedly, be cliché, but it's too late to dwell on such things.

Moving on, Yuffie's not here yet, but worry not! I'll work her in soon enough.

**Peace's End**

**By tfa1**

Chapter 17: Power Struggle

The Cirrus Central Power Hub, the control centre of the Empire's power, was a strange place. It was built into the Sky itself, directly above the middle of the Western Continent. In short, it was in a really high place.

The main control room was where the action was at. A large, circular room, it gave one the feeling that they were an important engineer aboard a high-tech spaceship. Everything, from the cylindrical supercomputer in the centre to the computer terminals lining the walls, was constructed of a glossy metal. Even the landing platform, which hung from the Sky, was a spectacle to behold. Unfortunately for those who hadn't seen the Hub before, the place wasn't reachable except by helicopter.

But that didn't stop its caretakers from arriving at work each and every day. They were a strange lot, fattened by the considerably excellent wages as no other Imperial worker was. That was why many applied for a job in the Hub. Few qualified, and even fewer got in, but there had recently been a rare exception.

He was the new guy, an expert in electronics and artificial AI. Those skills had made him good money until the Empire decided to scrap their contracts with his company in favour of biological super-soldiers. With his largest financial support out of the picture, the man's resources slowly declined until he was finally forced to declare bankruptcy.

That's why he needed this job. He hated it, but he needed it.

What he hated most was his boss. Of all the fat, greasy idiots he'd ever met in his life, Mr. Shang was the worst. Head of Electrical Affairs, he acted as if he was the emperor of the Hub, and everyone hated him for it.

The ex-CEO corrected himself: everyone with a _sane_ mind hated Shang, but sanity was in short supply here. Crimson, the emaciated blonde, was obsessed with guns of all types. Dagger – another fat, greasy moron – had what was easily the most annoying laugh in the world. And then there was the Palm, whose name alone revealed the hopeless state of his mind.

Dr. Reed, ex-CEO of Reed's Robotics, detested everything about working in the Hub except the salary.

'President' Shang, as they called him, had tasked Reed, one of the greatest minds in electronics manipulation, with monitor duty. In other words, it was his job to watch a computer screen all day, every day; reporting any shifts in power output, of which there were few. The slob had made it very clear that nothing was to distract him from his duties.

"You're going to sit here and watch this screen until your shift is over, got it?" he had said.

The doctor did not respond kindly. "This is an outrage!"

"Now you listen here, _boy_! You're new here and, as such, you get all the benefits of inexperience – which means you get nothing. I don't care if you're aching or bored! You're going to sit, stare at that screen, and report any anomalies."

"I am not going to sit and stare for eight hours each day!"

"You're going to if you want your pay check! Let's get one thing straight: you'll sit here until your shift is over. You won't talk, sleep, or even #& without my saying so."

Dr. Reed reluctantly gave up the fight. "Yes… sir…"

- - -

Zephyr Locke could feel the pull. Now that he had become aware of the Jenova cells in his body, he had also become aware of the pull towards Reunion, but he resisted. He fled in the opposite direction, heading to the east. As Zephyr ran on, he began to understand the alien cells in his body. He discovered their powers, their abilities; growing his hair so that it touched his waist.

It was silver, as he suspected it would be.

He could sense the alien matter coursing through his veins, augmenting his body in ways he had never even imagined. The ability to change ones looks, voice, and words… he was using those powers to great effect. He smiled as his arms reshaped into blades; laughed as his legs sprouted wings. Zephyr Locke could shape his entire body into whatever he wanted.

He continued to walk away from the Imperial Palace, gradually accepting his role as an experimental super-soldier. At long last he had an identity. Finally he felt… complete.

But still he felt that there was more to do. He didn't know his full name, his age, or his birthday. He hadn't yet solved the mystery of Taefis's parents or defeated the Empire. Deep down, he fought the urge to destroy everything; he resisted his destiny of evil. _Perhaps_, he thought to himself, _I can cheat destiny… as Cloud did_…

And so he continued walking away from Jenova, away from his friends, away… from everything…

- - -

"What's that?" asked one of the security guards. The radar in front of him was detecting an object moving towards the Cirrus Central Power Hub. "Is it a bird?"

"Is it a plane?"

"No, it's Bishop Valentine! That's the helicopter used by the Godaian religious group!" The security captain stomped his foot on the ground for effect. "But whatever they want, they're not authorized to get, unless it's a thorough beating. Send out a 'welcoming committee'."

As the helicopter arrived at the Hub's landing platform, a large plethora of guards had already positioned themselves to 'welcome' their unexpected guests. A robed man with a pale face stepped out of the helicopter, and watched as it took off, leaving him alone with the security. One of the guard captains approached the man identified as Vincent Valentine, anxiously fingering his rifle.

"You're not authorized to be here, sir."

The older man nodded and crossed his arms. "I'm fully aware of that, but I have an important message for everyone here," he said.

"The post office takes care of all of our messages, Bishop Valentine. You'll have to leave – now!"

"You don't understand," the bishop said calmly, "A terrorist group recently sought shelter in my church and revealed a plot to attack the Hub. All of you need to evacuate."

The captain burst into laughter. "Ha!" said he, "I can assure you that we are perfectly safe where we are."

"Oh, I seriously doubt that… So, am I to assume that none of you will heed my advice?"

"Either you leave now or I'll send you back to the Lifestream."

Vincent Valentine nodded again in understanding, but he didn't move. "Very well," he said quietly… eerily. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

Suddenly the bishop bent his body at the waist, covering his head, and was engulfed in a ball of pure darkness. Demonic growls and roars sounded from the darkness as the beast within Vincent Valentine unleashed itself, sending shockwaves throughout the Central Power Hub. In front of the welcoming committee stood a purple bipedal behemoth; fury in its eyes.

When it spoke, its voice was no longer that of the bishop's. "Death is come! Flee or face the wrath of the Galian Beast!"

The majority fled before the creature, but a select few – notably the entire non-security personnel – remained, either out of a sense of duty to destroy the being or complete stupidity. The behemoth-like entity proceeded to tear up and destroy anything within its way, slaying those that attacked it. He threw the unfortunate Shang into the supercomputer, shocking the man and short-circuiting the machine. Within minutes, the Cirrus Central Power Hub was little more than a smouldering ruin and a tomb of unfortunates.

As the creature prepared to jump through a recently-made hole in the roof of the Hub, a man's voice caught it completely by surprise. "Power output is minimal, Mr. Shang. What the hell are you guys doing back there?" The creature found the source of the voice: a seated man whose chair had hidden him well during the entity's onslaught.

"Turn around," the being commanded.

The man did so, slowly, with a look of horror on his face. "You… you're not Mr. Shang!"

"And you just figured that out?"

"I've been monitoring power output the entire day."

"I don't care what you're doing; so much as the pathetic way you're doing it. Get out now."

The man gulped. "The others will have already taken off in the chopper by now; I have nowhere to go. Please, I mean no harm!"

"Name?"

"I'm Dr. Reed."

The figure nodded its head as it processed the doctor's words. "Your spirit is familiar to me… Come, and I'll spare your life."

The Galian Beast leapt through the roof of the Hub, with Dr. Reed slung under an arm. They set foot atop the Sky's solar panels together as the bishop reverted back to his human form. Just as the doctor was wondering how they were to get off the giant plate, he spotted an airship far off in the distance.

The _Skyshredder_ sped through the air, and Dr. Reed suspected that it was headed towards them.


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy 7 and all is associated characters, location, etc… are property of Square Enix.

**Author's Note**: Revision! Nothing major, really. I just made some minor adjustments to some stuff that needed adjusting. Happy reading!

**Peace's End**

**By tfa1**

Chapter 18: Family Reunion

The man known as Zephyr Locke was engulfed in complete darkness as the fake stars in the Sky ceased to give off light. He was rendered blind, with nothing other than a glowing aura of his own energy to illuminate the barren earth around him. He continued to walk eastward, fighting the desire to return to Jenova; to Reunion.

He could hear the voice in his head: an unholy union of the Mother and its child.

/ Reunion… /

It scratched the very essence of his being; nudged his soul with its malice. It was the voice of a commander, a mother… a destroyer… It attacked every inch of his existence, goading him on; persuading him to join the Reunion. It demanded that he join the unholy duo of Sephiroth and Jenova.

/ Reunion… /

Their voices echoed in his head, tearing at his mind and sanity; at his free will. Zephyr could feel himself slowly giving in.

/ Reunion… /

_Shut up…_

He scrambled through the darkness, always making for the east. With each step his body and mind became heavier, but he refused to give in. There was still so much he had to do… There was a sky he had to see…

/ Reunion… /

_Shut UP!_

The darkness didn't hide him from Jenova's pervasive influence… Nothing could hide him from her. Distance only made the call stronger. Resistance merely exhausted the resistor. He shambled on, dragging his body beneath him.

/ Reunion… /

Just as he was about to scream at the top of his lungs, a new sound found its way to Zephyr's ears. The noise was light and swift, heading towards him. It left marks in the dirt and vibrated through the air. There was no mistaking it: what Zephyr heard were the sounds of footsteps.

Silent footsteps… like those of a hunter.

- - -

Smoke billowed from a hole in the top of the Sky. Hopeful that he would find a solution to his problem, Dr. Bugen set a course for the area that formerly functioned as the Central Power Hub. Unbeknownst to him and those on board, two men were waiting for the airship, viewing its presence as a most fortunate omen of good luck. Bugen's omen of good luck was the hole with smoke billowing from it.

The solar panels that covered the Sky gleamed in the sunlight, reflecting the Sun's rays in a spectacular fashion. It was like flying in a world of perpetual light, looking much like Heaven itself.

"Two human signatures detected near the breach in the Sky, sir," the young pilot said. "Identities confirmed: one is Bishop Valentine of the Godaian Order and the other is Dr. Reed, ex-CEO of Reed's Robotics."

Dr. Bugen did not waste any time. "Bishop Valentine?" he exclaimed. "Oh ho hoh! I'm a Godaian myself, you know. Hurry up, hurry up! We mustn't keep him waiting!"

Zax was a tad bit sceptical. Dr. Bugen noted how quickly the former guard had now turned against his former employers. It wasn't surprising, frankly – even those who served the Empire had little appreciation for it. "Are you sure we can trust them, doctor? We _are_ fugitives of the Empire now, and I remember hearing from someone that Dr. Reed manufactured all of the Empire's mechanical spies."

"That was a long time ago, Zax. Besides, the Empire prematurely ended its contract with him, putting him out of business. I doubt he'll have any love left for the Empire. And as for the bishop, it doesn't take a history expert to know that he'd fight the Empire any old day, oh ho hoh!"

Zax crossed his arms as the two men climbed aboard the _Skyshredder_, wary of the new arrivals. "Hello again, Dr. Bugen," the bishop said with a monotone.

"And salutations to you, Bishop Valentine. You can imagine my surprise at seeing you standing atop the Sky, but you were always the strange type so I won't bother you with questions."

The robed man nodded his head in gratitude. "You have my thanks, doctor, but I'm afraid I must commandeer your ship."

"I knew it!" Zax cried out, forcing Vincent to regret his word choice (no one ever said 'commandeer' on a vessel and expect to be treated nicely about it). "You're all Imperials!" He drew his weapon, but by then the bishop already had a firm grip on the man's throat.

"I don't work for the Empire," Vincent said in his deep, menacing voice. "And if you don't serve it either then we're all on the same side, and have no quarrel." He released his grip on Zax. "The rebel group ROCKSLIDE is making its way towards the eastern end of the Sky, and if it's all the same to you then I'd like to rendezvous with them there."

"Oh ho hoh!" That's a mighty thing you ask, Bishop, considering the defences positioned around the plate's edge."

"You didn't notice the fissure I made, did you?"

Bugen laughed quietly. "Always on top of things, I see. Worry not, Your Holiness; we'll have them onboard in no time."

- - -

Zephyr stopped dead in his tracks, listening intently to the silent sounds in the shadows. He searched for the source of the noises, squinting in the darkness, but to no avail. Without the light given off by the Sky's false stars, he would never be able to see anything outside of his own arcane glow.

That's when it hit him; he was glowing. The aura of energy that surrounded him made him as visible in this darkness as if he was standing in full daylight. He focussed his mind; commanded his body, but the illumination would not diminish. He stood where he was, sticking out like a sore thumb.

He felt a blunt object connect with his spine, knocking him over face-first into the dirt. He spun around to identify the culprit, but the hunter had vanished. He rose onto his feet again, listening harder than before. _Left!_

He turned in time to see a pair of blazing irises hurtling towards him with a fist in tow. He ducked as quick as he could, forcing the hunter to leap over him as she disappeared once again.

"Taefis…," he muttered to himself.

Her voice resonated clearly throughout the wasteland as she spoke. "You're quicker than I remember, Zephyr."

"Why are you doing this?" the man asked weakly as an alien wrath welled up inside of him. He fought it back, trying to maintain control. He refused to succumb to Jenova's anger.

"Don't tell me you don't remember… Are you honestly that out of tune with your own identity?"

"Before now all I've had was an imagined identity. Now I know who – no, that's not right – _what_ I really am. Get out of here before I hurt you, Taefis. I don't know how much longer I can hold her back."

"Hold who back?" As Taefis said this, Zephyr suddenly realized that she was directly behind him. He twirled on his foot just in time to receive a knee in the stomach.

He dropped to the ground in pain. "Gah!" he cried, crumpling up into a foetal position to cradle the impact point. "It's… Je… Jenova…"

Her psychotic laugh in response pierced the air as Zephyr continued to struggle with the rage inside him. "I'm not a fool; Jenova's dead!"

/ Reunion… /

Despite himself, Zephyr broke out into a fit of hysterical laughter. "Dead!? Hah! Jenova can't die; the Reunion ensures that! She's going to come back again, and again, and again… until all us pitiful humans are destroyed!"

Zephyr's laughter didn't stop. "You're truly insane…" Taefis mumbled. "You're going to pay for what you did!"

/ Reunion… /

"Hee, hee! Her plan is already in motion… you cannot stop her… She'll destroy you, me… everything… Get away! For you own sake, _get away!!!_"

Taefis didn't listen. She kicked him as he giggled on the ground, watching her stalk off to return to the shadows. "You can't hide from us, Taefis… She's going to kill you…"

"I thought you were my friend!" She kicked him again… "I trusted you!" …And again… "You monster!" …And again.

As Taefis circled around the crumpled Zephyr, like a vulture, she looked on in horror as he changed. His eyes began to glow blood red; his left arm mutated into a scythe-like blade. Gone was the man Taefis had once called Nimbus… only this creature remained; this insane, laughing creature.

The entity had Zephyr's voice, but it was altered; changed. Condescension and pride permeated each syllable it spoke, confident in its own capabilities. "Only a fool would challenge Sephiroth's reincarnation alone… Now you will pay for you stupidity."

Taefis shook off her fear and charged at Zephyr, but he moved with lightning-fast speed and, before she knew it, he had already circled around her. He simply laughed maniacally, sending the woman sprawling to the ground in complete terror. He advanced slowly; taking his precious time as Taefis clumsily crawled away.

"Feed us your fear… We crave it… Where is your pride now, Taefis? What's happened to the great hunter of Gongaga?"

"Get away from me!"

"Hee, hee! But our destiny lies here with you, Taefis… Do you remember what destiny is? History repeats itself, and destiny guides each and every moment… You were a fool to come alone – fate dictates that you will not win this battle…" Zephyr continued to step towards Taefis, his scythe-like arm at the ready. "You've forgotten," he said, "You are the reincarnation of both Aeris and Tifa… but I wonder whose destiny you've inherited?"

"What do you mean?"

"Have you inherited Tifa's fate at the Nibelheim reactor – to be wounded but remain alive? Or is it Aeris's – doomed to die for nothing?"

Taefis remembered she had legs and fled, but Zephyr moved too quickly for her. He picked her up with his normal hand, readying his scythe for the kill.

"Pity you forgot your history, old friend. Any last words?"

The hunter struggled to free herself, but the other's hand held her tightly in place, cutting off the majority of her air supply. "I don't… care how long it takes… how many times I have to be reborn… I'll avenge our parents' deaths! … I swear it!"

Zephyr's grasp abruptly slackened as his eyes lost their red hue. "_Our_ parents? That… that would mean…" His eyes went wide with horror as Taefis glared at him. "Sister…?"

Zephyr howled in grief at the realization of what he'd done, dropping Taefis to the ground as he did so. She gasped for air whilst using the opportunity to skulk away into the shadows, tormented by Zephyr's wild screams as he ran off into the east… forever tailed by the voice of malice…

/ Reunion… /


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy 7 and all is associated characters, location, etc… are property of Square Enix.

**Author's Note**: I don't know if this chapter helps the Mary Sue predicament at all, but I'm free to hope. Regardless, I think many of you will enjoy this chapter, because there's nothing crazier than a trial in Wutai.

**Peace's End**

**By tfa1**

Chapter 19: The Glorious Champion of Truth

Paper walls, bamboo chairs… the room hardly looked like the most prominent court in all of Wutai. Well, at least it didn't until the eyes found the judge's bench, which towered over everything to such an extent that the ceiling, able to fit at least seven men stacked one atop the other underneath it, was mere inches from the judge's head. So high it was that when the defendant watched her lawyer speaking to the justice, it looked as if he was speaking to the bench itself.

Even so, the defendant could hear the judge's voice loud and clear through the megaphone. "The court is now in session!"

The judge's aid, or so he called himself, was situated to the right of the bench. An elderly man, the defendant's lawyer told her that his name was Sir Goh, and that he was one of the prominent figures in the Wutaian legal system. "In the case of Commander Jessica Biggs, better known by her alias of 'Wedgie,' versus the Wutaian state, how does the defence plead?"

"Guilty, Your Honour."

Commander Wedgie protested as her lawyer said this. "I object! What the hell are you thinking?" she yelled.

The man beside her looked the woman in the eye. "There's no possible way you can win this case. The evidence is stacked against you. And do you see that woman?" The lawyer pointed to a young girl at the prosecution's table; a brunette around 17 years old. "She's the most notorious, brilliant lawyer in the whole country, and the youngest of them all to boot! How much brain-power do you think it takes to get into law school at that age, huh? If you plead not guilty, she'll cut you down quicker than you can stick your hand up a donkey's butt! Hopefully the judge will let you off with a life sentence, as opposed to an execution."

"But I _want_ an execution, you dimwit! Why do you think I joined the Air Force in the first place?" Commander Biggs slammed her hands on the table in front of her as she addressed Sir Goh. "I plead not guilty!"

Wedgie's lawyer yelped as she said this. In a flash, the young prosecutor rushed to the judge's bench and began to analyze each piece of evidence. "Exhibit A, Your Honour, is a picture of the Imperial plane wreck off the coast of the capital city. As everyone can clearly see, the defendant had been piloting the aircraft, as is made evident by the large 'Commander Wedgie' decal located on the left side.

"And here we have Exhibit B, which happens to be an Imperial Air Force uniform worn by the defendant at the time of her arrest. The nameplate clearly states it is the property of Ms. Jessica Biggs."

"That's Commander Biggs to you!" the defendant shouted.

The brunette ignored her. "As for Exhibit C, Your Honour; here we have a signed confession by _Ms_. Biggs detailing the crimes she's committed against out nation. I see no reason to call forth any witnesses, Your Honour, as this woman is _clearly_ guilty of collaborating with the enemy."

The judge's megaphone-enhanced voice rang out across the courtroom. "Thank you. Does the defence have anything to say?"

Commander Wedgie stood up. "I'm innocent. That's all I have to say."

"Very well," the judge boomed. "Has the jury reached a verdict?"

"Yes, Your Honour," a man's voice said squeakily, "we have. The jury has unanimously voted to let you decide the verdict, as always."

"Very well! I hereby declare the defendant, Commander Jessica Biggs, guilty of all charges and sentence her to life in prison!"

"_Prison? _You ugly witch!"

"_UGLY? Execute the prisoner! Off with her head! This court shall have blood; blood I say!"_

Sir Goh's calm voice emanated from corner. "Need I remind you, Your Honour, that an execution is precisely what the defendant wants?"

The justice calmed down. "Yes, of course. Thank you, Sir Goh. I sentence the defendant to 10 years hard labour followed by life imprisonment!"

"I hope you rot in HELL!"

"_Death to the heathen!_"

"It's settled then," said Sir Goh. "Commander Jessica Biggs will serve 10 years hard labour followed by life imprisonment with chance of parole by order of Her Honour, leader of the Wutaian nation and its people, glorious champion of truth, invincible defender of the weak, infallible goddess of all creation, great Descendant of the Shinobi, perfect in every way; the Honourable Lady Yuffie VII!"

- - -

Zephyr had been walking for some time now, having stopped cursing himself after his throat began to hurt. "Why are you following me?" he asked, directing his question towards the impenetrable gloom.

"I… I'm not entirely sure…," said a woman's voice. "For the same reason that you spared my life, I suppose: we're family. And now… now you're the only family I have."

"Hmph. So, then, you're not afraid of the monster I've become? You're not going to run away, like a sane person should?"

"I'm afraid of nothing." Even as she said this Zephyr could hear Taefis's voice shaking.

"But you're wounded."

"I've had worse scars… The deepest wounds are deeper than skin."

Zephyr almost felt like laughing, but such an awkward situation forbade it. "Ah, sticks and stones can break your bones…"

"… But only words will hurt me."

"And? Do you want me to feel sorry for you?"

Taefis stepped into Zephyr's glow, her head lowered. "I've lived with this pain my entire life – I've gotten used to it by now. I don't want you to feel sorry for me."

"Oh, I see. So then you're here to forgive me; is that it?"

She threw her head up, clenching her hands into fists. "I'll never forgive you for what you did!" she roared, "But, neither can I blame you… What you did, as much as it hurts to say… wasn't your fault. What I want is for you to feel remorse for what you did to our parents. What's done is done but… at the very least… show me that you're human."

"That would require that I was human… But when they apologize for handing me over to the Empire for experimentation, then I'll feel remorse. When they beg for forgiveness, then I'll feel sorry for them… I didn't ask to be this way."

"Exactly, so then let's carry on, as we did before, in this quest to destroy the Empire. A good companion once told me that, regardless of what I knew or didn't know, we two could become buddies."

"That sounds vaguely familiar…"

"That's because Nimbus said it."

At this Zephyr did laugh. "Nimbus is gone…," he scoffed. "He died in that throne room the moment I saw the Emperor's face."

"But now my brother remains; and that's why I'm going to follow you."

"Fine… but you tempt fate…"

"Fate? I laugh at fate."

"So be it."

A sudden flash of light far off in the distance caught the pair's attention. A thunderous boom spread across the empty wastelands. "What was that?" Taefis inquired.

As the flash subsided, Zephyr spotted the colour blue contrasting itself against the darkness. He saw before him blue seas and, infinitely more important, blue skies. "Come," he spoke at last, "We're getting out of here."


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy 7 and all its associated characters, locations, etc… are property of Square Enix.

**Peace's End**

**By tfa1**

Chapter 20: Hearing Issues

"Awight! Now that was a big 'splosion! Come on; let's get goin' b'fore those Imperials get 'ere!" Rockslide yelled back to his comrades, who were still rubbing their eyes trying to recover from the blinding flash. A gaping hole in the Sky was clearly visible before them; the light blue of the outside juxtaposing the darkness of the Western Continent.

"We've got to get in the helicopter!" Sister Elle shouted at the top of her lungs, her hearing still dulled from the earlier 'boom'. "It's the only way to get off the continent!"

"What?"

"I said we need to get into the helicopter!"

The rebel leader gave the nun a thumbs-up, indicating he understood, and then leapt out of the hole in the Sky. The rest of the troupe followed him out, shielding their eyes from the sun's glare as they did so.

Sister Elle continued to yell at Rockslide, separating her words for better understanding. "We… need… to… get… into… the… helicopt-?" She didn't get far with her sentence, as not only did she stop talking when she laid eyes on the _Skyshredder_, but Rockslide had also been too preoccupied staring to pay her any attention.

"Hey up there!" he called, waving his arms to catch the ship's attention. "We're over 'ere!"

The _Skyshredder_ descended closer to the group of refugees, lowering a rope ladder for them to climb up. Upon the exposed deck was Bishop Vincent Valentine, eyeing them happily but with no expression upon his face. "It's about time you got here," he said, monotonously as always.

The Godaians from the church bowed respectfully to their leader as the members of ROCKSLIDE strolled past him and into the ship's hull, giving quick thanks as they went. At once Sid Highflier and Bart Rockslide darted for the food court, leaving Smith to do as he pleased. He skipped onto the bridge of the airship, happy to be back aboard.

"So," he queried casually. "Where are we goin', doctor?"

"Oh ho hoh!" Dr. Bugen replied. "Bishop Valentine has made it very clear that your final destination is Wutai, but the _Skyshredder_ is an imperial airship and isn't suitable for travelling there with. We'd get shot down immediately, so I've set a course for the Eastern Continent, near Midgar. I have some friends down there that'd be able to provide us with a transport unaffiliated with the Empire."

"Who are these friends?"

"Why," the doctor continued, "they're friends from my younger days, before I joined the Space Program. Yes… I remember those days well… I was fascinated by Planet life, and my friends happened to be exp-" Bugen cut himself off as his pilot interrupted.

"Life signs have been detected on the coastline, doctor. The signatures are consistent with the rebels Nimbus and Taefis Locke."

Smith corrected him, "His name is Zephyr now."

"Oh ho hoh! What luck! Hurry up, captain, let's not keep them waiting!"

- - -

It became quickly obvious that the Locke siblings, particularly Zephyr, were in a bad mood. While Taefis did her best to explain what had happened to them, Zephyr disappeared into a secluded room and began to sulk. Only Smith would dare approach to console him, and he even then he had hesitated until most of the story was over.

"It's Cloud," Taefis concluded. "He's the Emperor… and Zephyr's Sephiroth."

By this statement, everyone, including the loud-mouthed Sid, who had cursed throughout the whole helicopter trait despite being in the presence of religious figures, was rendered speechless. Dr. Bugen's perpetual smile, which always brightened the days, warped itself into a straight line.

Disconcerted by the awkward silence, Brother Red changed the subject. "So, uh, Bishop Valentine, exactly why did you start the Godaian religion?"

The pale face turned slowly towards the red-haired priest, his eyes narrowing in irritation. "I've told you already. Precisely, I've told you 4 times!"

"But we do love your story oh so much," he begged.

"Brother Red, this is hardly the time."

"Pllleeeaaassseeee!"

"Oh, all right!" the bishop declared. "I was lying in bed, as usual, and doing some thinking. Over the past 700 years I've had a lot of time to think, but none of my thoughts ever really fascinated me. Well, they didn't until I had an… epiphany of sorts. That revelation has become the fundamental basis of the Godaian religion. I was inspired to spread my new beliefs, one thing led to another, and now here I am."

"Yes, but you haven't told them _why_ you started it. Come on, come on; tell them. It's the best reason I've ever heard for starting your own religion."

Vincent Valentine hesitated a bit, glancing around the room as if searching for a way out. When he spoke, he sounded genuinely embarrassed. "I… I was bored and had nothing better to do…"

The redhead burst into a bout of uncontrollable laughter, but everyone else was too shocked to even see what was so funny. Father Sufur, who was obviously Valentine's second-in-command, dragged the howling priest into a secluded room and slapped him. The bishop nodded his head in tentative approval when Sufur returned.

- - -

Back in the food court, Ex-Captain Sid Highflier was having his own problems. He found the barmaid, a woman named Sierra, very attractive, but he soon realized that she was far more irritating than any other woman he'd ever met.

"What would you like today?" she asked. Everything was normal so far…

"I'll have a vodka martini, shaken not stirred. Only, instead of the martini, I'd like tea." It was a simple request in Sid's mind.

"What kind of tea would you like?"

"Earl Grey," the former captain replied. Earl Grey was his favourite tea.

"I'm sorry, but we're out of Earl Grey." Suddenly Sierra became one of his least favourite women.

"What? You don't have #& Earl Grey tea! _Everyone_ has Earl Grey tea!"

"I'm sorry, but we don't."

"Fine, I'll take green tea." Green tea was Sid Highflier's second favourite tea. Sid liked it for its health benefits (something that Sid needed more than anyone), but the colour green made Highflier think of plants, plants made him think of the ground, and the ground made him think of crashing so he decided that Earl Grey was better.

"Uhh… we don't have that either. I could mix our specialty blue and yellow teas together for you."

"Fine… fine… just #& fine…"

"What would you like in your tea?"

"Vodka."

"I thought you said you wanted tea!" Sid almost swallowed his tongue.

"I want the vodka _in_ the tea, you retard! Don't you understand any #& English?"

"English? I was under the impression that we were speaking Japanese!"

Highflier pulled out his personal breathalyser, convinced that for once, he was actually _too_ drunk. "One of us has got to lay off the booze…," he said.


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy 7 and all its associated characters, locations, etc… are property of Square Enix.

**Peace's End**

**By tfa1**

Chapter 21: Perfection's Flaw

"And how are we today?" Smith cheerily asked while prancing next to Zephyr.

"Awful," the latter responded.

Smith snickered. "What's wrong? I thought what you wanted most out of life was to discover who you are! Now that you know, shouldn't you be happy?"

"I'm a monster," Zephyr said, his voice cracking. "The abomination inside of me has woken up, and now it threatens to devour not only me, but everyone I know… I almost killed Taefis! … I still don't know why… why she'd choose to follow me…"

The feline shrugged, having now stopped his prancing. "Ya probably knocked some sense into her. If you ask me, it took a near-death experience to convince Taefis that she couldn't do everything on her own. Always reminded me of a stubborn child, she did; running around freely while completely ignorant of her own boundaries. In a way she's just like Rockslide, all talk and no substance, if you catch my drift."

"You don't care that I tried to kill one of my friends?"

Laughter erupted from Smith's small body. "From the story I heard, it sounded like Taefis was trying to kill you first! It's perfectly natural to defend yourself."

"How would you know? There's nothing natural about killing another living creature!"

"How would I know?" the cat repeated. "Do you say that because I'm a robot?"

"Smith… I'm sorry…"

"No, no; don't apologize. Frankly, I don't care, because life is a game with too many event squares and a die with too many faces. I like being this way, but don't assume that because I'm not alive I have no knowledge of what that means. Stop beatin' yourself up because, when it comes down to it, there's nothing you could've done to stop this from happening. This was your destiny; and the sooner you accept it, the sooner we can all move on."

"But that's the point!" Zephyr screamed. "I can't move on _because_ it's my destiny! It's my ultimate fate to become a destroyer – no, _the_ Destroyer."

"You're weird, kid, but I'm a spy. I know how to read people like an open book. Sid's a drunkard because he has unfulfilled dreams; Bugen's completely obsessed with his cat and the life of the Planet; and you have a good heart, and a strong will. The fact that you've been able to resist Jenova for as long as you have is testament to your ability to counter fate. Ghast knew what he was doing when he chose you for the project."

"Ghast; as in my creator? How do you know about him?"

Smith smile widened, appearing as if it would tear itself in two. "Old Ghastie? We were very close, him and I. You might have even called us nigh inseparable! He gave me access to top-secret information that others would have killed for, even some information regarding the project that infused you with your powers."

"You knew about this?" Zephyr pried. "You knew about this and you didn't tell me? You knew about this and you didn't try to save your family?"

"How was I supposed to know that Ghast's project had escaped?" the feline responded, shaking his head. "How could I have saved my family without condemning Ghast to death? You don't seem to understand that a mass disappearance of Imperial spies would look extremely fishy. Besides, everything's fine now; my family is free and now that ROCKSLIDE has escaped the Palace, the Emperor has much to worry about. The apprehension of my robotic companions will be considerably low on his priority list now that you've returned."

"And what happened to Ghast?" Zephyr asked

"No one I've spoken to really knows… He hasn't been seen since he attempted to dispose of you… and chances are good that you murdered him in cold blood, or that he sacrificed himself to protect you. Ghast always said that his purpose in life was to create the perfect being, and you were, in his mind, fulfillment of that purpose. There's no need to feel sorry for him, because there's no greater honour than accomplishing one's prime directive. I, for one, still have much to do, and will not be content until it is done."

"What… what was Ghast like?"

Smith sniggered. "I guess you could say that he was just like me! Brilliant, inspiring, and egotistical to a fault, he was."

"I'm amazed you two got along so well," commented Zephyr.

"We were experts at our respective fields. I didn't brag about being a scientist and he never bragged about being a spy. There was no reason for us to quarrel, really."

A nod of Zephyr's head showed Smith he understood, but it seemed as if the man had more questions to ask. "You said…," he started, "…that there's still a bunch of things you have to do. What kinds of things?"

Smith's smirk widened once more, revealing the white teeth beneath his lips. "First of all, we need to destroy the Empire. Then, it's my dream to spawn a new world order, devoid of the flaws of the Empire… Call it a sort of… utopia, if you will."

A new voice added to the mix startled the pair, its deep resonances sending shivers down Zephyr's spine. "There is no such thing as a utopia." The robed man stepped out from the shadows, no expression on his face.

"Bishop Valentine?" Smith questioned the older man. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough… Trust me, if you wish to avoid disappointment, find another dream. A utopia can never survive for long."

"And what makes you say that?"

Raising his hand to his forehead, as if troubled, the bishop spoke quietly and wearisome. "I have seen what happens to utopias when everything goes wrong. This Empire, believe it or not, was supposed to be one. About 300 years ago, Cloud had a vision; a dream of uniting the peoples of the Planet into a singular, beautiful entity."

"_Cloud_ did?" Zephyr asked.

"Yes; back then he still believed in doing good, and thought he _was_ doing good. Perhaps it was a last ditch attempt to find happiness but I'll never know now. Regardless, thousands supported him in his unification process, because not only was he a hero of the Jenova War but he was doing what he thought was best. Wutai was among those that resisted, in part because of their stubborn pride. Ironically, the nation that rejected peace is now the only hope of restoring it. As you can plainly see, not everything went as planned, and the realization of his failure drove Cloud over the edge. I only wish I could have done something…"

"Then why didn't you?" Sephiroth's reincarnation asked timidly. His tone was not one of accusation, but rather one of curiosity.

"What could I have done?" Vincent asked rhetorically, still expressionless. "I saw no point in fighting it… History repeats itself whether I let it or not. An empire would have been born no matter what I did, so I chose to accept an evil I knew over an evil I didn't. Knowledge is power, and with my current knowledge of Cloud we have a distinct advantage."

The black cat snorted audibly. "So you sat on your butt the whole time? What inspired you to take action now that the Empire is too large to defeat?"

"Bedsores hurt."

- - -

"Well, here we are at last!" Dr. Bugen said, hovering out of the airship.

"Umm…," Brother Tson began, taking time to analyze his surroundings, "are you sure we're in the right place?"

"Oh ho hoh! I'm positive!" Dr. Bugen responded, floating over desert-like terrain towards what could only be described as a rock with holes in it.

"What kind of idiot would choose to live in the mountains, so far from civilization?"

The good doctor rapidly about-faced, eyeing the priest with a restrained anger. "There are _no_ idiots here; only friends. What you call civilization is nothing more than human greed made manifest; greed for luxury and comfort! There are those who are close to nature, living in boulders and cliff sides if need be; and if you call that uncivilized then I say to you that human civilization is the Planet's greatest enemy, for even Cloud Strife would be unable to defeat human greed itself!"

The priest bowed his head in shame. "I'm sorry Dr. Bugen," he lamented. "I didn't mean to offend you."

"I should certainly hope so. Now, let's continue on. His house is just up ahead."

Joined by the rest of the Godaian Order as well as the ROCKSLIDE group; Bugen waited patiently by a breach in the boulder, supposedly the door, as a figure slowly emerged from the hollowed rock. His hair was grey in most areas and he walked with a limp, but the eyes of Bugen's friend burned with a passion for life that defied his age and kept him going. Even in old age, the figure was strong, mentally if not physically, and prepared for any challenge.

"Oh ho hoh!" Bugen cried. "My old friend; how are you feeling these days?"

"Old, as always. I've already lived far longer than I expected, but that's not necessarily a bad thing," the grey-haired figure responded. He eyed Bugen's troupe quizzically, surprised to see them. "No doubt you'll explain some things, Doctor. Are these students, arrived to learn about the Planet?"

"Students? Oh ho hoh! Dear me, no; they're fugitives of the Empire, and I need your help. But where are my manners?" He turned to ROCKSLIDE and the Godaians, speaking to them in a most cheery voice. "Everyone, this is the greatest expert on Planet life that ever did walk the world. Say hello to my good friend and mentor, Nanaki!"


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy 7 and all its associated characters, locations, etc… are property of Square Enix.

**Author's Note**: This has been a rather odd occurrence. I've officially received more complaints about the change in Vincent's wardrobe than I have about Cloud being an evil emperor bent on spreading grief. After 700 years, people can accept a complete shift in Cloud's alignment but Vincent can't change his clothes. It's funny how an optional hidden character could wind up more popular than the main one. I suppose I could change Vincent's clothes back, even if they'd look strange on a bishop.

Edit: I've fixed the chapter number and added a few things to the text. There haven't been any major changes, so don't feel obligated to re-read it.

**Peace's End**

**By tfa1**

Chapter 22: Vincent's Gift

"That's your friend?" ex-Imperial guard Zax exclaimed. "But he's a… a…"

"He's a friend; that's all that matters," Dr. Bugen said calmly. "With his guidance, I learned much about the Planet, and adopted many of his theories as my own beliefs. It was so long ago since I was last here… I'm very sorry that I've been unable to see you these past years, old friend."

The big cat chuckled. "No need to worry, doctor. There are other old friends who I haven't seen for even longer… That reminds me; you haven't introduced your companions to me yet. I could swear I've seen them somewhere before, especially you," he said, turning to the bishop whose mouth was hanging wide open.

A stunned Vincent Valentine was abruptly brought out of his trance. "Nanaki? I… I thought you'd be dead by now!"

"That voice… Vincent Valentine? Could it really be you? Good Gaia, how long has it been? You haven't come to visit in so long that I thought _you_ were dead."

"The Empire doesn't allow many travel opportunities. You look so… different!"

"As do you," the bishop's friend said, smiling. "What the _hell_ are you wearing?"

"I'm a bishop now. These come with the job."

Nanaki stifled a laugh, gazing at his fellow Jenova War hero. "I'll have to admit, Vincent; I never thought I'd see the day when you'd change your outfit. To tell the truth, I never thought I'd live this long, but it would seem as if all my predictions are crumbling before me. With your appearance here… wearing _that_… I'd half-expect to find a chaste Reno running amok."

Bishop Valentine stepped aside, revealing a robed Brother Red standing behind him. Nanaki almost suffocated himself with his howling laughter. "We need to get to Wutai," Vincent said through the cat's howls. "Dr. Bugen seems to think that you could help us get across the water."

Nanaki, his laughter subsiding though not completely quelled, spoke. "I happen to be the most prominent figure this side of the world. I have some agreements with the citizens of Edge and I'm certain that, with enough persuasion, we could procure some sort of aquatic transport."

"That's very good news."

The cat giggled some more. "Well, shall we be off, then?"

- - -

The trip to the city of Edge was a short one, as the _Skyshredder_ could traverse the short distance between Nanaki's home and the city in no time. It looked very much the same as it did 700 years ago. Granted, much of the buildings had been replaced and/or redone, but for the most part Edge had the same grey look.

"So," Zax asked, "what kind of creature is your friend?"

"Oh ho hoh!" Dr. Bugen replied. "His species true name has been lost to history, but many people these days know them as the Fire Lions. Nanaki is the father of the entire tribe, of which he is their supreme chief. They're fascinating creatures, really; possessed with the strength of a lion and with intelligence exceeding that of the average human. For many years I studied their culture and species, but then circumstances involving the Empire tore me away from them."

Bishop Vincent Valentine heard his feline companion snicker as he passed a dimly-lit store, which had a very gothic look and feel. "Look, Vincent," he said. "It's the perfect store for you!"

The bishop almost swallowed his tongue as he walked in front of the store, stopping in order to get a better look. "You have got to be kidding me…," he said to no one in particular, walking inside to get a better look.

The store carried an obvious preference for the colours red and black, sporting crimson walls and ebon floors. Racks of guns lined the store, along with cell phones and gothic garments. A man behind the counter, the owner of the store, was busying himself with organizing merchandise, but quickly halted his actions to help his potential customer.

Vincent thought the man looked awkward, possessed of long black hair and a hippy's accent while at the same time wearing clothes befitting of a sorcerer. "Oh, I'm sorry, dude," he said. "This store is dedicated to the action hero Vincent Valentine, not the martyr hero Saint Valentine. I'm afraid you're in the wrong place, dude."

"Vincent Valentine?" Vincent Valentine asked, awkwardly.

"Ch-yeah, dude! He's only, like, _the_ most popular hero of the Jenova War!"

The stoic bishop began to blush slightly, more out of embarrassment than modesty. "Holy Planet, this is odd… Regardless, I'd like to know if you have any Vincent costumes."

"Dude, they're not costumes!" the hippy exclaimed… or whined, rather. "They're replicas, duplicates, like tributes, dude!"

"Very well, I'd like to see one replica, Mr…"

"My name's Leone, Dynamite Leone! I'll get you one duplicate right away, dude. You won't regret your purchase."

When the owner brought the outfit to Vincent, the latter was amazed at the sheer quality of the replica. From the pointed shoes to the tattered cape; everything was there. The outfit seemed so genuine that Vincent Valentine himself wondered if the clothes he'd worn 700 years ago were nothing but a copy of this fine clothing. The bishop almost cursed, but his mouth was so entranced by the duplication that it could not even bring itself to hang open.

Vincent had a word for people that made copies as stunning as this: obsessed.

"It's only 6 000 Gil," Dynamite Leone explained. "If you don't mind me asking, dude, what would a priest like yourself want with Vincent's clothes? Has everyone ever told you that you look a lot like him?"

"I'm actually only here to look. Seeing this suit brings back so many memories…"

"Memories, dude?"

"Yes. I'm Vincent Valentine."

"Hah!" Mr. Leone exclaimed. "And I'm the King of Midgar! Your face is way too pale to be Vincent's, dude. Not to mention your nose is an inch too long."

Vincent Valentine found himself baffled by the owner's sheer idiocy. "A moron like you wouldn't last a day as King of Midgar."

For a full five minutes Dynamite Leone stared at the bishop, each second twisting his expression into one of shock and awe. Vincent Valentine simply stared at the man, because processing how anyone could be so utterly stupid was taking a while.

- - -

"Why aren't we going to Wutai with the bishop?" asked Father Sufur. "We're his followers."

"The _Puny Mustang_ can only fit five passengers, and this fight is for the ROCKSLIDE rebel group. Besides, I have some investigating to do around Midgar, and I require the aid of you youths. Highflier and Zax are staying behind to watch over Dr. Bugen and the _Skyshredder_, so that means you Godaians are the only ones fit to accompany me."

At that moment Bishop Valentine burst into the boat rental office, wearing new clothes (or were they old clothes?) and pulling behind him a wagon overflowing with guns, clothes, phones, and all manner of black and red merchandise. The bishop's face was contorted into an expression of both rage and contentment.

"Went on a shopping spree did we?" the grey-haired cat joked.

"No such thing," Vincent replied, finally stopping to rest. "When that idiot owner finally figured out I was telling the truth, he began to worship me like a god and gave these to me. I must say it's rather convenient; I have free clothes to replace those Air Force uniforms you ROCKSLIDE members are wearing. Travelling to Wutai in those would be the death of us."

The robotic cat Smith seemed quite preoccupied with something in Vincent's wagon. "Bishop?" he questioned slowly. "Why is there a little girl in your wagon?"

"Her? That's the idiot's daughter, Marie Leone. She's one of many gifts."

"What?" Rockslide boomed. "You gotta take her back!"

"Pay more attention, Rockslide. You don't seem to realize that the guy just gave his daughter away to a complete stranger. I don't want to keep her for myself but I am most certainly not returning her to _that_ lunatic. You keep her, Rockslide; it's fate that you adopt her."

Before the giant man could argue, the 8-year-old brunette had jumped into his arms yelling "Daddy!" and he couldn't bring himself to say no.


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy 7 and all its associated characters, locations, etc… are property of Square Enix.

**Author's Note**: I had originally intended to name Marlene's reincarnation Marie Lene, but I thought that was too obvious, so I went with Leone which is, according to my spell check, an actual real name. I'm not sure how a Marlene reincarnation could be interesting, considering I have no actual plans for her, but someone wanted it so here she is.

As for the Remnants, it is my understanding that they were manifestations of Sephiroth's consciousness trying to escape assimilation into the Lifestream; or in other words I think it was Sephiroth's attempt to continue existing past death. After 700 years, I believe it's safe to assume that Sephiroth's presence in the Lifestream has dissolved. I'm sorry to say, but the Remnants of Sephiroth will not be making a return in my story.

**Peace's End**

**By tfa1**

Chapter 23: Land Ho!

"My Lady," Sir Goh, aid to Lady Yuffie VII, chimed timidly, "The annual census has been conducted and the results are ready for you to view."

"Excellent!" exclaimed Lady Yuffie VII, ruler of the island of Wutai. "Thank you, Sir Goh, but I'm afraid I won't need to read it this year. I already know that I have the nation's full support!"

"Ac… actually, My Lady, that's what I came here to talk to you about," the old man stuttered. "It… it would seem as if a handful of citizens are slightly displeased."

"_Excuse me_? I've done an excellent job of defending Wutai from the barbarians and now they have the _gall_ to insult me like this?"

Sir Goh began to sweat, doing everything he could to calm down the Lady. "That… that's the problem, Lady Yuffie… You've done nothing _but_ defend. Our nation hasn't gone on the offence since your father's foray into enemy territory. The masses are calling for offensive action against our oppressors. They say… they say that now is the time to strike."

Lady Yuffie VII of Wutai laughed insultingly. "I don't know if you recall, Sir Goh, but it was that same foray that killed my father and promoted me to the throne. It was his first attack on the Empire and his entire fleet was decimated before it even got halfway across the sea." She lowered her head in solemn remembrance of Wutai's last monarch. "The Sky is too well defended to attack. Right now all we can hope for is a mass rebellion from within the Empire."

"But My Lady, birds have been seen around the Sky."

"I see birds around the Sky all the time."

"Yes, My Lady, but these birds were alive."

"Mobilize the army at once!" Yuffie commanded. "Sound the gong; ring the alarms! We make for the Western Continent and our victory!"

The aid bowed low humbling himself before her. "It shall be done right away, My Lady."

"Very good; thank you, Sir Goh." Just as the man was about to leave, Wutai's ruler bid him return. "Oh, Sir Goh!" she called. "Have I ever called you anything but 'Sir Goh'?"

"Not that I recall, My Lady."

"I see, then. Proceed with our plans, General."

"You flatter me, My Lady," the newly-appointed general commented as he turned to leave the room. There was much to be done, such as the dethroning of an evil emperor.

- - -

Everyone, even Bart Rockslide himself, noticed how quickly the adopted girl bonded with her new father.

"Who's yo' daddy?" he'd ask.

"My daddy's the strongest man in the entire world!" she'd say.

Then the large man would giggle audibly. "Kid's learn so fast, don't they?"

And of course, because of how close they'd become, or perhaps in spite of it, Marie was going to Wutai with Rockslide. Although the large man had rejected the idea (a reason being that Wutai was a war zone), Sid Highflier convinced him that Wutai was, in fact, the safest place in the world to be. While Bart was confused by the other man's logic, the idea of a military man accepting the idea along with the little girl's inescapable goo-goo eyes forced him to let the girl come along.

ROCKSLIDE's transport, an old piece of junk called the _Puny Mustang_, seated five people, but considering the size of Marie and the robotic cat they were able to fit all six: Rockslide, Marie and Smith, Taefis, Vincent, and Zephyr. Sid, at Bugen's request, was staying with the _Skyshredder_.

"Zax, you, and I will be staying here with the airship," the old man said. "Although we're going to 'lay low' for a while, there's still a chance that the Emperor may find us. In that case, I'll need you both for defence."

"I can't let ROCKSLIDE go alone!" the ex-Air Force pilot declared. "I'm a #$ official member now! I have to go with them."

"Oh ho hoh! I've already spoken with the rebel group, and they all agreed that they would be fine without you. Right now our priority is to keep our greatest weapon out of the Empire's hands. This airship may not be very much but it's all we have in this fight, Captain." The pilot suspected that they were all just trying to keep him away from the little girl because of his profane language.

"I'm not a captain anymore…," the pilot said mournfully. "I lost that title when I #$ turned on the Air Force."

"Oh ho hoh! Don't tell me lies, Highflier; I know you're a captain."

"Didn't you #$ hear me?"

"Oh, I did," the doctor laughed. "But just because you're not a captain in the Imperial Air Force doesn't mean you're not a captain." Dr. Bugen smiled happily, his face beaming like the sun. "It's about time I settled down, Captain Highflier, so I'd like for you to say hello to your new vessel: the _Skyshredder_."

- - -

The journey to Wutai was an easy one, by all standards. Although the _Puny Mustang_ left much to be desired from a boat, there was no question as to its abilities. On calm waters, still as glass, the _Puny Mustang_ could get five passengers from point A to point B, and seeing as how the ocean was very serene the six passengers aboard were making great progress.

Once again, Zephyr acted very strange. Although it first appeared as if he would be sea-sick, the man rapidly re-established contact with the sky and forgot all about his woes, or maybe even ignored them. Indeed, when Taefis, Rockslide, and Marie had fallen asleep, Zephyr remained with his eyes wide open to take in all the sky had to offer. He was entranced with it; fascinated by it. Neither Smith's humourless jokes nor Vincent's enigmatic figure guarding the rebels from the terrors of the night could tear away Zephyr's gaze. He'd nod, grunt, and perhaps even give one sentence responses but that was the extent of his interaction.

Bishop Valentine was also very silent, keeping watch over his charges to see them safely to Wutai. Lately the old man had adopted an active role in world affairs, and no matter how many times he said it was done out of boredom he knew in his heart that it did it because he wanted to. It was his job, his duty, to ensure that the inexperienced warriors did not go the course alone, especially with the great Cloud Strife as their adversary, and there was nothing he wanted more than to see smiles return to his home on the Western Continent. More than anything else, it was the smiles that made Vincent feel good inside. He could not smile; his past and his personality would not allow it, but the knowledge that others had avoided his mistakes gave him a strange sort of inner joy.

Smith, annoying as usual, was doing everything in his power to distract the solemn beings.

As daylight approached, Vincent squinted in the dusk, and called out to those in the boat. "We have arrived."


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy 7 and all its associated characters, locations, etc… are property of Square Enix.

**Author's Note**: I apologize if my story's been moving rather slow lately. I've had to set up for what's about to come. This chapter is rather short, but I've been experiencing a wee bit of writer's block these past few chapters. I know where I want my plot to go, but getting there and filling everything in-between has been harder than it used to be.

I also apologize for all the questions I ask, but I'd like to ask one more, since no one's commented on Lady Yuffie VII. Have I done Yuffie justice with my OC, or is she too different to make an efective Yuffie? Just wondering :)

**Peace's End**

**By tfa1**

Chapter 24: Ahead on our Way

The members of ROCKSLIDE stepped out of the _Puny Mustang_ and onto the island nation of Wutai, each wearing the duplicated attire of Vincent Valentine. Coming here was a completely new experience for Zephyr, Taefis, and Rockslide, who'd never before seen grass except from the windows of aircraft. Taefis and Bart revelled in this new adventure, but Zephyr looked disgusted.

Walking through the fields of Wutai, he carefully picked his steps through the blades of grass as if afraid they'd drag him into the dirt if he moved incorrectly. "They're not gonna bite ya!" Rockslide called to him as he leapt through the grass with his new daughter.

"Look at them all!" Zephyr muttered to himself. "Look at how they point up, ready to skewer me if I should fall. I need to get out of here! I need to get back!"

Bishop Valentine, dressed up in his new old clothes, grabbed the terrified man by the collar and dragged him through the plant life, intending to keep him from running away back to the _Puny Mustang_. After a considerable walk the friends came within view of Wutai City, the capital of the island and one of the largest living cities on the Planet.

Drum beats of war emanated from the bright city, rallying forth all that heard the call. Even from their distance, the ROCKSLIDE members could hear the distinctive sounds of marching as the entire Wutaian army prepared to attack the virtually disabled Western Continent. With the Sky and its defences out of commission, the only thing standing between Wutai and its prey was the sea. Presented with a nation poised to kill, the friends walking towards the city were only too happy that they weren't dressed in Imperial clothing.

- - -

"Midgar?" Brother Red complained.

"Yes; it may be a ways away but I've seen strange sights there recently," the aged Nanaki replied. "Something bizarre is occurring over there and I intend to determine what."

"Can't we take the airship?" the redhead continued. "It would be a lot faster, Chief Nanaki."

"Utilizing the _Skyshredder_ is not an option. With the Empire in pursuit of you, it would be unwise to attract attention while we journey. It would be even more foolish if we led the enemy directly to our destination. There no telling what we'll find within Midgar, but if it's anything that could help us fight the darkness then we must be cautious."

Father Sufur nodded his head. "Listen to your elders, Brother Red. If Chief Nanaki believes this is a necessary expedition then you will shut your yap and agree."

"Why can't your Fire Lion tribe search instead of us?"

Nanaki sighed, remaining as patient as possible. "My kind does not venture to Midgar often. Those that would dare are too few and too noticeable – the tails of our species burn with flames that, in large enough numbers, would be noticeable to the Empire. Like I said, we must not draw attention."

Brother Rudy had some questions of his own to ask. "Then, if you don't mind me asking, why are you coming along? I don't mean to be rude, Chief Nanaki, but you're slowing us down."

"With old age comes experience, and it just so happens that of us all, I have the only Restore materia. You Godaians don't even know what materia is, let along how to use it. Midgar is an unsafe place, especially in these days when age and rot have made the city unstable. I shall be your guide in the ruins, and if you want to stay alive you'll forgive my limp and accompany me."

"So, chief, what kinds of bizarre sights have you seen at the Ancient City?" Sister Elle asked.

"Light…," responded the big cat. "I've seen white light where nothing is supposed to remain other than ghosts and death. I doubt the light was malevolent, but we must be wary nonetheless. I don't know what it could be – only a fool would venture into Midgar without reason… Whatever the source of that light is, there is a reason for it, and we must discover what that reason is. Come… the night grows old and daylight yearns to expose us. I may be old but my legs have not completely given out yet. Onward!"

- - -

Within the heart of Wutai City, Lady Yuffie VII and General Goh observed the army as it passed by on the way to the transports. Although they knew that the Imperials were superior in numbers and technology, the Wutaians were a proud people and had no fear of their enormous enemy. Already on the brink of collapsing due to casualties, the Imperial army was sure to be no match for the relentless island nation.

"Has my royal chariot been prepared for the battle, General?" Lady Yuffie VII asked her aid.

"Yes, My Lady. A plethora of soldiers has been assigned to guard it, as always," The latter responded. "And where will you _actually_ be staying?"

"Accommodations have been prepared for me in Tent #077. Look for me there if you need me."

The general laughed. "You overestimate these soldiers, My Lady. I hardly think you'll need a decoy considering the current state of the enemy's military, let alone two."

"Always overestimate, General. That way, when the attack actually comes you won't be surprised. Proceed with the plans as I've outlined. What's the status of my secondary decoy?"

The old man whipped out a sheet of paper, adorned with names of possible candidates for the position. "That prosecution lawyer from the Biggs trial seems a good choice. Although she pales in comparison to your beauty, My Lady, I believe the Imperial army would have difficulty distinguishing between you two. In addition, it would seem that she is blessed with brains – perhaps enough brains to keep her alive throughout this ordeal."

"My beauty _is_ unrivalled, isn't it?" the ruler of Wutai mused, gazing into the sky as she admired thoughts of herself. "Yes, she'll do nicely," she said at last. "But the last thing I want to do is send a valuable mind to its grave – we'll need to find her a bodyguard. The longer she lives, the longer I'll remain undiscovered and happy. Summon the lawyer and the best bodyguard you can find."

"At once, My Lady; your wish is my command!"

The Lady's aid ran off into the rest of the city, hunting down those required by Yuffie. Before he could find a suitable bodyguard, General Goh spotted something out the corner of his eye. It was a man more fearsome than any beast, whose face had been hardened by wars that could have stretched into Hell itself. He was a warrior, armed with weapons more powerful than even the Imperial army's.

"You there; hold!" the elderly man cried out.

Vincent Valentine turned slowly, wondering whether the old man's cries were a blessing or a curse.


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy 7 and all its associated characters, locations, etc… are property of Square Enix.

**Author's Note**: I would, first of all, like to apologize for my very long absence. Time has been in short supply lately, and I don't expect it to get much better. Whatever the case, here's the next chapter. I hope the revelation of Cloud's plan will make up for the lack of updates. It's a strange plan, I know, but this is fantasy so I'm allowed to be strange.

**Peace's End**

**By tfa1**

Chapter 25: The Beginning of the End

O, how this spring of love resembleth  
The uncertain glory of an April day;  
Which now shows all the beauty of the sun  
And by and by a cloud takes all away.

- William Shakespeare (The Two Gentlemen of Verona)

- - -

"No."

"It is Lady Yuffie VII's wish that you serve in the army," General Goh said as he tried to recruit Vincent Valentine.

"I refuse to. I will not be some teenager's babysitter."

A mischievous smirk crossed the older man's wrinkled face. "Oh really?" he teased. "I can tell by your appearance that you're not from Wutai. You're refugees; here illegally to save your own skins. Whatever your reason is for coming here, I can assure you that resistance will only result in your deportation. So… do we have a deal?"

Smith scoffed. "I thought this was a free country!"

"Freedom is relative," Goh said with a smile, much to Vincent's annoyance. "Whatever hell you find here is nothing compared to that of our mutual enemy's. Trust me when I say that every country with a leader has restrictions on freedom… and it just so happens that Wutai has fewer. If you wish to stay here, where the grass is green and the tyrants benign, then I suggest you pack your bags and prepare for war. There's no sense in expecting us to harbour you refugees if you won't even lend a helping hand."

The members of ROCKSLIDE stood where they were, deciding whether or not they should enlist with the Wutaian army. Each of them looked to each other for support only to find that all were indecisive. Finally Bishop Valentine spoke for the group, intent on doing what was necessary.

"Your fight is with the Empire," he said, "and so is ours. If we can be of service in the upcoming war, then I pledge our allegiance to Wutai… _and_ its army."

"Excellent!" the Wutaian general exclaimed. "My Lady will be pleased to hear the news. Follow me. The entire army is about to set out for the Western Continent, so we'd best prepare you for battle as soon as possible. The world shall soon know the meaning of freedom again!"

- - -

The large man opened the door to the Emperor's throne room slowly, cautious before his master. Carefully and as silently as possible, he, a worker for the revitalized Space Program, stepped into the room. It was time for him to deliver his report. He had known for a long time that it would be his job to do this, but he still found it hard. The only saving grace offered the large man was the unexplained disappearance of the Jenova mural behind Cloud's desk. Only a plain stone wall remained where the frightful picture had once resided. The throne room was still rather grim, however, as the chamber had to be lighted with candelabras and torches, due to the recent power failure.

"Sir," he squeaked. "Construction on the rockets is nearing completion. We have high hopes that they will be finished on time for the alignment, as requested."

The Emperor looked up at the other, his eyes glowing behind the black mask. "That's good news."

"Thank you, sire. But I'm afraid there have been a few difficulties with the air conditioning system you wanted to be implemented in your space suit. Given our current technological abilities, a system of the calibre you desired is simply impossible to create."

"Fine… but I want some ice packs put inside along with whatever air conditioning you can dig up. Coldness: that's what I need. One would think that my cold heart would keep me cool enough… but no. Passion's flame burns too brightly… it always has…"

The worker cleared his throat, trying to maintain his composure. "Other than the continent-wide power outage, those are the only real problems we've encountered. Our emergency power is expected to hold out until well after the planetary alignment, so you need not worry about your return."

"Return?" the Emperor scoffed. "Who ever said I was returning? I'm going to spend the rest of my miserable life in space, mongrel!"

"I see…," the man said. "Anyways, my emperor, sections of the Sky have been cut away as per your orders, providing an unobstructed path towards space. With the light provided by the outside, our mechanics have been able to continue work on the rockets, although I regret to say that we've been unable to work 24/7, as you wished."

"That's fine…"

"I also came to deliver this," the large man told his master as he pulled a metal armlet and a pair of sunglasses out of the bag he was carrying. "Your ship has been designed with all the features you requested, cup holders included. Addition of scuba flippers to your spacesuit is underway. If you don't mind my saying, sire, this is an odd vacation you're going on."

The Emperor began to laugh uncontrollably. "_Cup holders_?" he giggled. "Those aren't cup holders, they're materia slots! I wouldn't expect you to know what materia are, but please tell me you didn't outfit my rockets with cup holders."

"We copied the slots on your armour as best we could. I don't know what function materia slots serve, but I'm positive we've duplicated them correctly."

"I hope you're right, or else all this time will have been wasted." Emperor Strife pulled four materia from underneath his desk, two green and two blue; materia that he'd kept for a very long time. "These are materia. I want you to socket one of each into the rockets. I am hopeful that you connected the slots correctly."

"What are they for, sire?"

The armoured man chuckled. "This is a Fire materia, and this is an Elemental materia. When slotted together, they will provide the rockets with the Fire attribute, protecting me from harmful flames. That's all you need to know."

"Sunglasses, flames, and air conditioning," the other man joked. "I wondered if maybe you were going to sunbathe on the sun!"

"Ridiculous!" the Emperor answered. "The surface of the sun is too hot for any living being, even me. The only thing that can protect a man from the sun's heat is its Gaia."

"Sir…?"

"I'm not going to stand on the surface of the sun, fool, because I'm going _into_ it!"

- - -

Suited up and ready to do combat, the entire Wutaian army (including the newly-recruited members of ROCKSLIDE) sailed off toward the Western Continent and their incompetent enemy. Aided by a gentle breeze and clear weather, the forces of Yuffie VII arrived at the doorstep of the world's greatest power. Armed to the teeth with materia, the soldiers of Wutai blasted through the Sky, filing through the newly-made breaches to make war on Cloud Strife and his followers.

They waited, calmly resting near the Sky as more and more Wutaian soldiers arrived to do battle. As far as anyone knew, the Empire remained oblivious to the impending invasion, and Lady Yuffie VII used that to her advantage to mass her forces.

She grinned most devilishly. "Once we reach full strength, the surprise attack will commence and the Empire will fall. I wonder where we should attack first. General, bring me a map!"

General Goh arrived by his lady's side, brandishing a (rather aged) map of the Western Continent. "Here you go, My Lady."

"Thank you, General Goh. Now, let's see…," mused the ruler of Wutai, peering over the ancient map. She pointed to a fairly isolated location. "We will strike here. Assuming it's guarded – which is doubtful – the town is still far enough from all other Imperial centres that retaliation would not come immediately, and even then I wonder if those Imperial fools could manage to alert the rest of the Empire as to our presence. This 'Rocket Town' as they call it will serve as our base of operations until a more suitable location is found."

"A wise choice, My Lady; you are a brilliant strategist."

Lady Yuffie VII of Wutai grinned again. "I know."

A deep voice from behind startled the nation's leader. "You have got to be kidding me…," it said. The girl wheeled around, meeting Bishop Valentine face-to-face. "Of all the reckless reincarnations they had to put at the head of this army…"

The young ruler smirked with resentment. "I'm not just the head of the army, numb-butt, but the head of this nation as well. I'll bet that changes your opinion, doesn't it? Are you scared of me? Huh? _Huh_? Are ya? _Are_ ya? No; there's no need to respond… I need not eyes to sense the trembling of your knees."

"My knees are still as stone."

"Oh, is that right, blubber boy? Look harder. Even from this distance I can spot you melting beneath my countenance."

"This senseless bickering tires me."

"You will treat Lady Yuffie VII with the respect she deserves (or, more specifically, demands)!" General Goh screamed. "You may look at her and see a naïve, young girl, but trust me when I say that if it wasn't for Our Lady there would be no more Wutai! It was her idea to use barrier materia for the protection of our nation, and it was her patient defence of the nation that protected our soldiers and allowed for this invasion to commence! Reckless; hah! The Great and Grand Lady Yuffie VII has sat in waiting for years to ensure our victory!"

"Thank you, General," the Lady said soothingly. "I trust you are the bodyguard for my decoy. Vincent Valentine, was it? I've heard much about you, but even so you _will_ know your place. I'll introduce you to your charge." She beckoned towards a corner of her tent, where a young girl, younger even than Yuffie, was patiently sitting. She was a lawyer, fast-talking, ruthless, and brilliant, but quiet when necessary. "I'll let you get acquainted," Yuffie said as she and Goh took their leave.

The girl smiled. Vincent went stiff. She got up and walked to him. He turned paler than the moon.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"This… I… I don't understand… How…?"

"Why'd they have to stick me with such a weirdo?" she wondered to herself, shaking her head as she returned to her seat. "But, strangely enough… you seem vaguely familiar… like a ghost out of the past…"

"Vincent!" the bishop exclaimed awkwardly. "My… my name is Vi… Valentine… Yes, it's Bishop Valentine."

"Oh, I'm so sorry. Where are my manners?" The lawyer got up again, holding out her hand to the pale bishop. "My name is Lucy; Lucy Moon."


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy 7 and all its associated characters, locations, etc… are property of Square Enix.

**Author's Note**: "_Is Yuffie Yuffie? Or is Lucy Yuffie (if so, where the hell did she get manners?)? Oh well. I hope Lucy is Yuffie. Is Yuffie Godo, or is Goh Godo_?" Heh heh, that made me chuckle slightly. Don't worry, I'm not out to confuse you all by mixing-and-matching character names. Yuffie _is_ Yuffie and Goh _is_ Godo; I just made Yuffie the ruler of Wutai because I thought it would be more entertaining.

As for Lucy, I was worried that the name might be a little ambiguous. She is one of my major deviations from the original story. However, I'm certain that any true Vincent fan (and, by extension, anyone who's played Dirge of Cerberus – I seem to get a lot of Vincent fans) will know who she's reincarnated from. You guys are smart; you'll get it.

Happy reading!

**Peace's End**

**By tfa1**

Chapter 26: The Scars of Time

Midgar: the city of wealth and death… It stood before them; an eternal testament to human greed and stupidity. Within its confines life had once resided, though not thrived. Now it was nothing more than a blemish upon the Planet's surface; a land of scrap metal that even the flourishing jungle could never hide beneath the fauna. It was a No Man's Land; a place where only the insane or those seeking death dared to tread. Now Chief Nanaki, son of Seto, was determined to enter it… a place that had not been touched in 700 years.

It looked very different from the Midgar in which he had met Cloud Strife and began a journey to stop Sephiroth and defend the world. Trees and grass and shrubbery poked out of the cracks in the ancient city, as if trying to mask humanity's darkest deeds from alien eyes; erasing what once was. But it could not be erased or ever fully forgotten. Its walls were fortified with greed; its streets paved with blood. Nothing in this, or any other world, was stronger than those two forces of humanity.

As he looked at the behemoth of a city before him, Nanaki knew how true these facts were. Indeed, it seemed Bugen was right about human civilization – that it was a force of great evil deserving of nothing less than complete and utter extermination. But Nanaki was older than his grandfather's reincarnation, and in time he had become wiser and came to realize the truth of things.

Civilization was not inherently evil, nor was anything else in the world. Sephiroth, Jenova, Hojo… the greatest villains of all time were, in Nanaki's mind, victims; victims of some greater evil, turning to darkness themselves to strengthen their bodies and minds and become something more. Everything conceivable to the human mind is, or was at one time, an object of goodness, but in time things can warp, eventually bearing little resemblance to what they once were. And the force that determined whether something was good or evil was nothing other than choice. After all, Satan only became the Devil when he chose to turn to evil…

The chief of the Fire Lions stepped forwards, slowly. A pinprick of white light shone through the darkness of Midgar, causing the group to tremble both with fear and hope: hope for better days.

Together they walked, engulfed by the city of death. The Godaian priests looked back to the world they were leaving behind, but Nanaki pressed forward, his resolve as strong as it had been 700 years ago.

He had made his choice.

- - -

"Are you okay? You don't look alright."

"I'm fine…," replied Vincent Valentine. "I was just… startled, that's all. I thought you were someone I know – err, knew; someone I know to be dead."

Lucy's mouth twisted into a frown. "So you think I look like a corpse, then!"

"No… I'm the one who looks like a corpse," the bishop said, smiling weakly as he insulted himself. "I… no, this was a mistake. I need to get out of here."

"Hey! Where do you think you're going? You're my bodyguard, remember? You have to stay here and protect me."

Bishop Valentine stopped in the tent's doorway, silhouetted against the darkness as the sun's light sprang through the breaches in the Sky. "I don't deserve to protect anything or anyone… I'm unable…" The stern man paused, his head slightly lowered. "I failed to protect the one thing I cared about. I failed to do my duty; both as a bodyguard and as a human being. I don't want to put myself in that same position, so I'll use this opportunity to take my leave. I'll find a replacement to keep you safe… it just won't be me…"

Vincent could hear Lucy's chair scrape along the ground as she stood up, prepared to challenge him. "Bishop Valentine! If you step out of that door you will be in direct violation of the Wutaian Guardian Act Article 7, which clearly states that all hired guardians are required by Wutaian law to remain within 20 feet of their charges at all times!"

"_Excuse me_? That's absurd!" the bishop shouted as he wheeled around.

"No one ever said Lady Yuffie was sane. Or would you like me to look it up?"

Stoic old Valentine plopped himself on a chair, brushing aside the chance to review Wutaian law. He wore a frown on his face and a glare in his eyes, crossing his arms to show contempt. But deep within himself he was not angry. He was certain the outcome of this endeavour would be a repeat of the earlier events of his life, and the last thing he wanted to do was relive that nightmare.

No, it was not anger that nearly drove Vincent out the door or caused him to shout at Lucy. It was an emotion he rarely felt: fear.

- - -

"You… you're going in… _inside_ the sun, my liege?" the Space Program worker questioned, aghast with disbelief.

A cackle erupted from the jaws of Emperor Strife, his sanity beginning to unravel itself as the aged man let his mind dwell on the evils at hand. "Oh, it won't be hard! As long as the rockets are ready for launch by the specified time then… heh heh… all will go as planned. I have been tutored in the nuances of outer space by a most experienced traveler. Ha hah! The pain will end soon! I can't wait!"

As the madness of time surfaced before his very eyes, the worker increasingly wished he could be miles and miles away, but his feet were frozen in place; paralyzed by terror and curiosity. "The… your shuttle won't be able to resist those temperatures! It's a fool's errand, sir!"

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong. He hee! Ha hah ha! Why do you think I've waited so very long for the planetary alignment, hm? Did you think it was so I go sightseeing? Heh heh; no such thing! Gaias, the souls of planets, are more than you think. They are alive, same as us, and like us they require the company of each other to survive.

"Naturally, Gaias don't communicate in the same way humans do. They connect with each other, opening up the barriers to contact and… Bah! You wouldn't understand. What matters is that they commune with each other whenever they get the chance. That chance is now! Ha hah! The Communion of Souls is to begin soon, and when it does, the path to the sun's Gaia will open!"

"That's insane! There's no scientific backing for anything of the sort!"

Emperor Strife locked his gaze with the worker's, and the latter saw in the blonde man's eyes an urgency that transcended human will. To build up the anxiety he felt there – the malice – would have taken many lifetimes. Whether it was supernatural or extraterrestrial did not matter to the man, for his mind became trapped, haunted by the sight. _Evil,_ his mind screamed. _Run away!_

"Science is a secondary source of knowledge. Jenova has seen more and done more than science can even dream of at this point, and we are harnessing that knowledge for our – I mean, _my_ ends! We – no, _I_ will spiral headfirst into the Great Sunspot and end the suffering that so many have been willing to afford us!

"We – I shall surpass him! We will make the illusion reality, and smite the heavens with a malicious fury. Hero, they called us – err, me; and yet they could find no help in our – _my_ darkest hour! Why should we care about them!? Why must we fight the Sephiroths, and the Jenovas, and the Shinras, while the rest sit back and watch!? We won't stand for it any longer!

"Sephiroth's illusion… will become the most real experience you have ever witnessed… Now, ready our – _my_ rocket… The time is nigh, and the Planet: doomed."


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy 7 and all its associated characters, locations, etc… are property of Square Enix.

**Author's Note**: Well, this is rather odd. These last three chapters have more to do with Vincent than my own main character. Of course, I'm sure no one really minds. In fact, I'm having a bit of fun fleshing out that stoic old guy.

Oh well; whatever. The show goes on and that's what counts. Hopefully I'm able to update soon again, but only time will tell. Ta-ta for now.

**Peace's End**

**By tfa1**

Chapter 27: And the Cat Jumped Over the Moon

Hunched over a tactical map of the Western Continent in the "War Room" tent, General Goh was startled when the silence was broken by Vincent Valentine's rather rude entry. Accompanied by a protesting Lucy Moon, caught in Valentine's iron grip, the pair disrupted the plan-making of Lady Yuffie's war council. Strangely enough, the ruler of Wutai was nowhere to be seen.

"You!" said Vincent with an accusing finger pointed at the general. "I have a bone to pick with you." He released Lucy's wrist, allowing the blood to begin circulating back to her hand.

"Is everything alright, Bishop Valentine?" the general asked.

"Oh, everything's wonderful," mocked Lucy. "Wonder-Bishop over there just thinks it's a crime to read. I opened up a book and he went crazy!"

"You don't understand! The way you read is the exact same way that she – uh, I mean… Arg! I… I can't take this anymore! It's torture!"

A puzzled look dominated Goh's expression. "Is there something wrong, Bishop?"

"…What is this piece of crap 'Wutaian Guardian Act' anyway?" the bishop screamed, somewhat awkwardly; nervously. "Couldn't you just show me romantic movie moments, pictures of dead puppies, or something else to tear my soul in two!? Why does it have to be this?"

"Uh, Bishop Valentine… there is no such thing as a 'Wutaian Guardian Act'," the general explained. "Whoever told you anything to the contrary was lying."

As Vincent Valentine turned to speak with Lucy, he found that she had disappeared. Lowering his head, shaking it, Vincent berated himself for being such a fool. He had exploded at someone he didn't even know, making her pay for a troubled past she had no control over.

The general quickly changed the subject, obviously more concerned with the war effort than with Vincent's relationship issues. Holding up two tactical maps, one in each hand, he smiled broadly and asked, "What do you think? Should we split the army in two and attack two locations simultaneously, or should we opt to focus all our forces in one strike?" It was amusing how similar Goh looked to Tifa trying to pick out an evening gown.

The bishop raised his head weakly, half-whispering his response. "Spread the men out… Without power the Imperial army will have difficulty communicating and working together to fend off multiple attacks."

"I disagree!" a female voice announced. Lady Yuffie VII of Wutai marched into the room, sporting a regal green robe and a small, furry, black purse. "We attack here," she said, pointing to Rocket Town, "and then withdraw our forces to the outskirts."

"Are you mad!?" the general and the bishop asked in unison.

"Ah, quite the contrary, my dear general; I've had a revelation. When the Emperor sends his counterattack into the town, our forces will move back in and surround them. With a small plethora of men stationed within Rocket Town, the Imperials will never expect it. With the entire Air Forced locked within their hangars on account of the power outage, His Majesty will be sending nothing but ground troops. We'll corner them, and then it will be like shooting fish in a barrel… or, better yet, like watching fish in a barrel surrender to the awesome might of Yuffie VII – I mean, uh, Wutai!"

"Ridiculous!" Vincent protested. "What makes you think Emperor Strife would send a counterattack to retake a backwater area like Rocket Town?"

"I have my sources," Yuffie replied, grinning.

"Hey!" her purse greeted, causing Vincent to leap vertically in the air with shock. The robot Vincent had thought was a purse smiled its odd feline smile. "It's a pleasure seeing you here!"

"The pleasure is all yours, I'm sure. I still don't see how you expect to make this plan work."

"It's simple, really," answered Smith, who was now leaping up onto the "War Room" tactical planning surface (in other words: the table). "While I was hackin' the Imperial data net, I found some interesting tidbits of information. I'm sure you've heard of the destruction of the Space Program Facility? Well, naturally it's only logical that the Emperor would relocate his most prized program, rather than scrap it, if you catch my drift."

"So the Space Program has been relocated to Rocket Town..."

"Well… yes and no. One of the Emperor's rockets is stationed at Rocket Town, but he has another at his palace. Only half of the Space Program is here, and there's still enough of it back at Stratus Palace to do whatever the Emperor wants it to do. We can't stop him from going into outer space, therefore it's imperative that we capture Rocket Town and meet him up there. The Emperor knows this… he will not surrender the rocket quietly."

Vincent Valentine almost chuckled. "Well, that's good news. We should go notify Rockslide and the others."

The two exited the "War Room" together, Vincent as morose as he always was, if not more so. Smith seemed to pick up on this. "So, what's wrong with you?"

"I don't know what you mean," replied the pale man, dodging the question.

"I think ya know perfectly well what I mean, or are your eavesdropping skills not up to par? Don't you remember? I can read people; Zephyr knows it and I believe you do as well. What's troublin' ya, Vinnie?"

"It's Bishop Valentine," the other responded, coldly. "I simply haven't come to terms with my past yet…"

"The past is what makes us who we are! Don't run from it! Accept it, embrace it, and work with it. I've learned to accept what I've become."

"You're a spy," Vincent noted unkindly. "You're a deceiver and a murderer. Can you really live with that?"

"I suppose a Turk would know all about deception and murder, eh?"

The normally complacent bishop wheeled around, anger written on his face. The cat had annoyed him right from the first day they met, but now he had gone too far. "And do you know what else I did as a Turk!? I learned what makes people tick, just like you would, being able to read people, as you say. Do you know what that says to me!? You understand people… you understand how to manipulate them and twist them to your own ends. I knew right from the outset of our first meeting that I didn't like you, and it seems I'm not alone. Rockslide doesn't trust you and neither do I! Exactly how devoted are you to our cause?"

"Completely," the cat answered definitively. "I would see Cloud Strife dethroned even if I had to manipulate others along the way. I knew Zephyr was my trump card all along, and on that day I found him unconscious in the wasteland I knew what I had to do – I took a chance. I brought him into this fight, and when all else fails you will see that I did the right thing. _Do not_ presume to judge my actions."

"I don't care what you've done; just leave me and my past along. A nose that grows long is an excellent candidate to get chopped off, if you understand my meaning."

"I do," Smith replied. "And I have one more question for you, bishop. If you're so excellent at reading people and figuring out what makes them tick, then why is there a human girl in that tent crying on your behalf?"

At that instant, Vincent felt his anger melt into sorrow, as he silently turned to gaze at Lucy's tent. Suddenly he felt like a very small man.

- - -

"Ms. Moon?"

The sobbing girl blew her nose in her handkerchief, not bothering to look at the pale man standing in the door. "What is it?"

Vincent Valentine shifted uneasily. "I would… like to apologize for my behaviour… A lot has happened in my life and… I'm sorry for dragging you into it. If you will forgive me, I would like to return to duty as your… erm… bodyguard."

The faintest chuckle from Lucy eased Vincent's heart, but he still felt too anxious to enter the tent. "You are forgiven, Bishop Valentine. But could you… could you forgive me too?"

"Forgive you? What sin have you committed?"

"I… I lied to you, Bishop. I'm so sorry. I… I just didn't want you to leave."

The bishop walked over and sat down beside the lawyer, miserably attempting to comfort her without touching her. Vincent wasn't the pat-on-the-back type guy. "I shouldn't have accepted this job and then turned around rejecting it. It's my fault… don't be sorry."

"I… I just didn't want to be alone… I'm scared, Vincent. I'm so scared… I'm going to be their target; that's my duty. They're going to try to kill me as if _I_ was the ruler of Wutai! I'm so very scared!"

Resisting the urge to remind her it was "_Bishop_ Valentine" or, at least, "Bishop Vincent," Vincent Valentine lightly hugged Lucy, trying desperately to think of other places he'd rather be. He could feel his next words creeping to the tip of his tongue, but held them in. Just as he was about to clench his lips together he heard himself say it. "I'll keep you safe. I promise."

He rolled his eyes, berating himself for saying something that, to him, seemed too… romantic. The last thing he wanted was to be remembered by history as the 700-year old pedophile. He shuddered at the thought.

But, despite it all, Vincent smiled. He finally had his chance to rewrite the greatest wrong-doings of his life.


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy 7 and all is associated characters, location, etc… are property of Square Enix.

**Author's Note**: It's time to check in with the characters I've been neglecting. I'm worried that I may face writer's block when I write about the war (battle scenes aren't my specialty), so I hope you can forgive me if the upcoming chapters are somewhat mediocre. I've put a lot of thought into the ending and I'm itching to write and post it, and I'm hopeful you'll all enjoy it. It shouldn't be too long now…

**Peace's End**

**By tfa1**

Chapter 28: A Plan to Die For

"You're going down, Dr. Bugen! This has gone on long enough!"

"Oh ho hoh! I'd love to see you try to stop me, Dr. Reed."

"I should have known you were not to be trusted. For the longest time I believed Highflier was the greatest threat to me, but now that I see the extent of your treachery I have realized what a fool I was. All this time you've been working towards your own goals! I will end your tyranny, here and now!"

"Very well; make your move then, Doctor. I'm waiting."

"Hah! Nice try, Bugen, but I'm on to you. Others may have fallen willingly into your traps, but I will not be so easy to get rid of."

"Those are big words coming from someone in such a position as this. I have been playing at this game a lot longer than you, Dr. Reed, and I know the ins-and-outs better than anyone. Only luck can save you know, regardless of how cautious you may be."

"Don't try to intimidate me…"

"Intimidate? I have no need of such lowly tactics. Whatever anxiety you feel is simply a result of your hopeless situation. One wrong move, Doctor, and you're gone."

Reed remained silent, trying to maintain the façade of bravery. He glared one last time at his rival, shaking his fist angrily. Opening his palm at last, he let fall from it a small cube, which landed on the surface before him.

Dr. Bugen smiled a deceptively kindly smile. "Boardwalk: $2 000; if you don't mind my saying, Dr. Reed, it looks like you just went bankrupt."

The latter choked on his pride, faintly releasing a barely-audible small squeak saying, "No!"

Just then Zax walked up the ramp of the _Skyshredder_, carrying heavy scraps of iron and other metals. He stopped momentarily to gaze at the pair seated in the loading dock; Bugen looking quite pleased and Reed on the verge of tears. "Still at that are you?" he asked, having been eliminated from the game hours ago.

"Oh ho hoh! We were just finishing! It seems that I am, truly, the king of Monopoly!"

"It's funny how someone so opposed to human greed could be so efficient at being greedy," the robotics expert grunted through clenched teeth.

It was not long before Sid Highflier, newly-appointed captain of the _Skyshredder_, joined them. Having also gone bankrupt in-game quite a long time ago, Sid had gotten much labour accomplished while the two doctors met in a clash of wills and wealth. "Quit your jabberin,' ya crazy loons! I'm going off to go get some shed-eye, so keep it down."

"I thought you were outfitting the _Skyshredder_ with weapons!" Bugen said.

"That?" the captain replied, laughing, "We #& finished that an hour ago! It's time for bed!"

The good doctor laughed jovially and shrugged. "Time sure flies when you're taking over the market!"

- - -

Even though they were spread out along the edge of a coastal plain, preparing to attack Rocket Town, the various members of ROCKSLIDE all felt as if they were living within a monstrous cavern. Indeed, with the Sky covering the majority of the continent, the West had become little more than a man-made cave, populated by the hopeless and led by the despairing.

Wutai intended to put that to an end. Enlisted among the ranks of their army, the ROCKSLIDE rebels were more than willing to help out, but it seemed to them that the Wutaian leaders were withholding information on the assault. Smith, however, had arrived to remedy that, and with the exception of Vincent Valentine, who wasn't present, all listened intently to what he had to say.

"The attack will be the easy part, at least for you," said the black cat. "We don't know how hard it will be to take the city, but it will probably turn out to be one of Cloud's best-defended outposts – but that is the least of our worries. The counter-attack will likely come swiftly, and we will probably be greatly outnumbered. The Wutaians will retreat to a safe location and then re-converge on the city to surround and trap the enemy."

"Sounds good!" the huge rebel leader called out.

"Please, I haven't finished," the cat continued. "It's not too shabby a plan, but Lady Yuffie VII doesn't seem to realize _exactly_ how important it will be to defend the town. The Imperial data net revealed to me that at the very centre of Rocket Town is… well, a rocket. There are fortifications to protect it from the outside, which is good because you'll need all the help you can get when the defence begins. It is essential that the rocket is protected – it is our only hope of stopping Cloud's ultimate plan. With enough luck, we can probably launch before the Imperials arrive, but that's a _big_ if.

"What I'm trying to say is that it's your job to keep the rocket from harm from the Imperial army. Strife knows it will be our only way to reach him, and he will stop at nothing to destroy our transport. While I and a select few others guard it from covert operatives, you, Rockslide, and the others will have to defend against an entire army, albeit a unskilled, low-morale one. Be prepared for anything, even kamikaze soldiers. These people have little to live for – I even expect that some of them _want_ to die. In all honesty, I have to say I don't envy ya."

Zephyr shook his head hopelessly. "Sounds impossible..."

"The fortifications are outfitted with a few gun turrets," Smith explained, "but you'll still have to deal with anyone that gets past the walls. Considering our track record of infiltrating an Imperial air base, completely obliterating a 'high-security' facility (if you could really call it that), and cutting power to the entire Western Continent, I have to say that I have faith in all of you. You may be fleshy but ya sure aren't pushovers. Besides, Vincent will be there with you. If we want to catch the Imperial army off-guard when Wutai flanks them, then Yuffie's decoy will have to accompany you. A snake without its head, even a real snake, will not be perceived as a real threat, if you catch my drift."

"Sounds dangerous," echoed a deep voice.

"Bishop Valentine?" asked a startled Smith. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough…" The aged hero of the Jenova War stepped out from the shadows, looking both considerably less happy and yet more joyful than normal. "If those walls around the rocket you speak of are as secure as you say, then I don't see why Lucy has to be involved in this. Cloud's pathetic excuse for an army will be focussed on killing everyone and everything; I doubt the illusion will look any less real if it's missing only one ingredient."

"But a snake without its head…!"

"Wutai is not a snake. The Empire is the snake, choking the world and poisoning all who dwell upon it. Once Cloud departs for space, the Imperial command structure will fall apart. They will be disorganized, scattered, and will pay little heed to eliminating commanding officers. They have the quantity to ignore quality. As for Wutai, in all honesty it's been nothing but a thorn in the Empire's side, and a more appropriate analogy for it would be a cockroach. And everyone knows that a cockroach can still be a pest without its head.

"Oh, and before I forget… I would like to apologize for what I said to you earlier. I was not myself and said some things I did not mean…"

"Aw, Vinnie… There's no need for that. You humans are irrational creatures; I know that better than most! You don't need to explain anything. It's water under the bridge, if you catch my drift. I don't blame you for caring about that fleshy woman, but to tell the truth it's not my decision whether she goes or stays. You'll have to take that up with Yuffie."

"Thank you, Smith. I shall do that soon. However, I was wondering… exactly what is Cloud's plan? I thought maybe you'd know, having hacked into the Imperial data net."

"Well…," the cat began, scratching the back of his head, "I actually couldn't find any information on it. Whatever Strife wants to do is a secret to everyone but himself. I'm willing to bet that his highest officers don't even have the slightest clue."

Zephyr snorted loudly. "Come on, Smith. I've seen you in action enough times to know that you couldn't have come out completely empty-handed, especially if the rocket at the centre of town was mentioned. What did the database say about that?"

The robot shrugged. "It was mostly gibberish, really. I still can't make sense of it. There was something about 'Sephiroth's illusion made reality' and 'Jenova's will,' but I didn't get much useful information. Aside from the rocket's location, all I really got out of it were a few specs and the Space Program's official codename."

"The codename?"

"It's just a name; most likely completely irrelevant. The Space Program, as it was meant to be called, is known as Operation Supernova."

As soon as Smith's words had been uttered, Vincent went rigid with terror. He alone understood what it meant. His lips trembled as he spoke, a sight most out-of-the-ordinary and scary in its own right. "Cloud's going to blow up the sun…"


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy 7 and all is associated characters, location, etc… are property of Square Enix.

**Author's Note**: Another chapter featuring Vincent and Yuffie as prominent characters. I'd better be careful not to forget about my OCs; those poor neglected scallywags.

**Peace's End**

**By tfa1**

Chapter 29: How to Kill a Narcissist

"Blow up the Sun!?" Taefis exclaimed loudly. "That's insane! That's impossible!"

"That's Cloud's plan," Smith stated.

"He'll burn up," observed Rockslide, "Problem solved. There ain't any way Cloud's gonna get close 'nuff to blow it up."

Vincent's pale face, though it looked slightly less horrified than a minute ago, was still visibly troubled, and rightly so. "Cloud's not that big a fool," said he. "If he thinks he'll be able to pull this off, then I'm willing to bet that he can. The planetary alignment will occur in mere days; that obviously factors into his plan somehow."

Zephyr was not satisfied by Vincent's answer. "It doesn't make sense! Cloud couldn't possibly survive the heat. Even when the planets align, the sun doesn't simply go out."

"You have forgotten one crucial fact," continued the bishop. "Unless the fundamental basis of my faith is wrong, then every celestial body has its own Lifestream; its own Gaia. I believe that if Cloud were somehow able to reach the Sun's Gaia, it would protect him."

"I still don't understand how that foo' thinks he's gonna blow up the Sun! That thing is huge!" Bart said.

Again Vincent was required to explain. "700 years ago, the Shinra Electric Company threatened the very life of the Planet by sucking out the Lifestream. Without the Lifestream, its Gaia, our Planet would have faded away. Cloud isn't going to attack the Sun, he's going to attack its soul. Once the Sun's Gaia is destroyed, it will only be a matter of time before the Sun itself dies."

"An' how d'you think he's gonna kill its Gaia?"

"That I'm not so sure about. Gaias grow when they absorb knowledge. That is how our Planet has flourished: through the collected experiences of all that have dwelt upon it. No life has ever grown on the Sun, and so I think it safe to assume that the Sun's Gaia is small… barely a speck compared to the Planet's. Perhaps Cloud can use that to his advantage."

Zephyr cocked an eyebrow, suddenly remembering what seemed now like ancient history. "Do you think Strife would be able to kill the Sun with an explosion," he asked, "one the size of the Northern Crater?"

"It's possible. Why?"

Before Zephyr could answer, Rockslide cringed at the memory, spouting off his thoughts. "Man; that scared the crap outta me! Hell, it's the reason I don't carry dynamite with me anymore!"

"Your dynamite only set off the explosion," Zephyr recalled, paling in the face with each passing moment. "The reason the whole Space Program Facility was consumed was because you blew something else up in the process; something much more volatile. They screamed at you. They tried to warn you."

"Who did?"

"The scientists at the facility did; don't you remember? 'The system is highly unstable!' one had said. The rocket engines… He's going to detonate the rocket engines! The explosion caused by them was what destroyed the Space Program Facility!"

Smith stifled a slight laugh. "When we defend Rocket Town, our primary objective will be to protect one of Cloud's rockets. Heh; the only way to stop Cloud will be to deliver his weapon directly to him. Emperor Strife has everything he needs, and we don't even know how to get where he's going."

- - -

A chunk of the rusted roadway crumbled away beneath their feet, almost taking Sister Elle with it. Midgar was ancient; falling apart at the seams and yet strong enough to withstand the test of time. Even as Chief Nanaki of the Fire Lions picked his way carefully through the ruins, he found that paths he had recently trodden across would fall away, nearly consuming his Godaian troupe. He wondered if bringing them along had really been worth the hassle.

They were slow, tired easily and obviously did not have the firearm experience that Nanaki had expected from the reincarnations of the Turks. He shook his head wearily, telling himself that he should have known better. Apparently 700 years of living did not necessarily make someone a good judge of character. He consoled himself based on the fact they weren't quitters, but whether that would prove to be a blessing or a liability had yet to be discovered.

The former hero of the Jenova War was rather amazed by the whole affair. He had brought along the priests so that they could help an old Fire Lion pass through Midgar; instead he found their roles reversed, with Nanaki having to work extra hard to keep the amateurs alive. Indeed, it seemed as if Nanaki could have gone in and out all on his own, an observation that had taken the old feline by surprise. It was as if all his youth, all his strength, had abandoned him years ago only to return for this final act of heroism. He felt more powerful than he had in hundreds of years; more graceful than ever before. In short, his tired life had turned around, all in the pursuit of the white glow he had seen coming from the Black City.

But all was not well. As the Chief of the Fire Lions carried on, deep in thought, a wall section to their right had crumbled to pieces and toppled down upon Brother Tson. Although he remained alive, he was pinned down and unable to continue on. A torn expression entered the faces of Nanaki's aides. They knew not whether to stay and help Brother Tson, or whether to continue the journey with the Chief. It seemed to them that, if they were forced to abandon their mission there, then all they had been through would have all been for nothing.

It was then that Nanaki made the choice to continue alone. Although he had known the quest through Midgar would be fraught with danger, he had no idea that his Godaian friends would have been so unprepared… so inexperienced. It seemed strange that Vincent wouldn't have at least lectured them in basic survival skills, all things considered. Nanaki was determined, but he was no callous fool. To force them on would have proved hazardous, both to them and to him. The Godaians were grateful.

And so, after helping them find a safer location, he left them, intent on finishing what he had come to do. Their lives were too important to him to endanger them any more than was necessary, and as it was the journey back would be equally as dangerous as the journey in, if not more so.

And yet, even though Nanaki knew it was the right thing to do, he felt odd doing it. Suddenly feeling very alone, the old hero could almost feel the darkness closing in around him. Without his friends he felt terribly vulnerable. Still, there were more important matters at hand, and Nanaki, 700 year old hero of the Jenova War and Chief of the Fire Lions, was not one to give up.

- - -

Vincent was not particularly fond of Lady Yuffie VII. In fact, she was downright annoying. Although he could see the merit in her plans, each one simply seemed like the right tactics for the wrong situation. Every word she spoke advanced the war effort, yet set ROCKSLIDE back. Now she had stuck Lucy directly in harm's way, and having sworn to protect her, Vincent knew he was obligated to mediate the problem.

Bishop Valentine could handle difficult situations. What he couldn't handle, however, was the Royal Narcissist.

"She isn't battle-ready," argued he, "She's just going to get in the way."

"If the Imperial army does not find the leader they're looking for, then they'll suspect something's up! I'm sorry Squishy-Knees but I just can't take that chance. If I go in her place, who will lead my people should I die? General Goh is smart but he's no tactician–"

"Thank you, My Lady," the general interrupted.

"You're welcome, General," Yuffie answered, continuing where she left off. "I've heard your plans, Blubber-Boy, and I have to say that many of them are quite good, but the odds are stacked high and there's no guarantee you'll live. I _need_ to ensure that Wutai is not left leaderless. A power struggle is the last thing we need in the middle of an all-out war."

"Then send someone else! By sending Lucy you'll be doing nothing other than endangering the lives of your people. Send someone more learned in battle lore; one who can protect herself… like, oh I don't know… Taefis!"

"Her!?" the ruler of Wutai scoffed. "She isn't nearly as beautiful as I am! The Imperials won't buy it for a second." She tossed her hair around like those celebrities in hair product commercials, attempting to highlight her good looks.

Valentine noted the resemblance to hair commercials, and he was not impressed. He was furious, in fact. "You narcissistic piece of filth; how can you throw away innocent lives so easily!?"

General Goh turned red in the face. "How _dare_ you speak to Lady Yuffie VII in that manner!? Guards! Guards! Arrest him for treason against the crown at once!"

"Look at this pathetic whelp you drag along with you," the bishop yelled, gesturing towards the general. "If you're the almighty powerful being you make yourself out to be then why in Gaia's name do you keep this fool around!? Anyone with real power knows their power; they don't need some insect beneath them reminding them of it! I'll bet you keep this grovelling creature around only because you don't trust in your own strength! Or perhaps you're just trying to fool yourself?"

"GUARDS!" the general screamed, but Lady Yuffie raised a single hand, and not a single soul moved an inch. "My Lady," Goh pleaded, "this man has offended you. Wutaian law clearly states what is to be done with him."

"I know my laws, General Goh…"

"Then what shall we do with him?"

"Nothing," she said, glaring around the room with a blazing fury. "Vincent Valentine! Do not think that I will forget what you have said this day, but you are still my decoy's only bodyguard. You may take your leave, for now… Go!"

The old bishop turned around slowly. It seemed as if he failed to get through to her, until… "You are most certainly _not_ powerless, My Lady."

"That's enough, Goh. Now go; go away."

"My Lady, you must not let his insults blind you to–"

"I said _GO AWAY_!!!" the Lady screamed, collapsing feebly into a royal seat, crying. Vincent walked over and patted her on the shoulder, not knowing what else to do. "Grand Champion Yuffie I is the greatest hero of our nation," she sobbed. "How… how could I possibly live up to such a namesake? You're right, Bishop Valentine… you're right… Tell the girl she can stay here; another will be sent in her place…"

Vincent nodded, finding himself much more compassionate towards this humbled Yuffie. "I will notify Taefis at once."

"No, no… There is no need… I will make the announcement myself. I will also need to find a sparring partner; this throwing arm is rusty."

"Excuse me?"

Obviously, Bishop Valentine of the Godaians had not (completely) destroyed the narcissist in Yuffie. "I'm going to watch from the front seat when the Imperial army melts beneath my countenance, Blubber-Boy. _I'll_ show you what power is."

Valentine half-smiled, and took his leave of Lady Yuffie VII. All seemed well, and then General Goh squeaked. "My Lady?"

"General Goh," Yuffie said, "I am retiring you from your current position. I finally realize how blinded I was by your flattery."

"I… understand… My Lady…"

"Oh, and Goh; as my new Minster of Propaganda you'll have to avoid calling me the – what was it again? – Goddess of All Creation. I wouldn't want to make the locals unhappy."

"My Lady?"

"You heard me! _I_ know how amazing I am, but there are still plenty out there who have yet to see the light. Now go, Goh! Go make me proud! Fly, my pretty; fly!"

Minster Goh saluted. "It will be done!"


	30. Chapter 30

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy 7 and all is associated characters, location, etc… are property of Square Enix.

**Author's Note**: I hope Yuffie isn't too OOC in this chapter. I was hoping to give her more of a compassionate feel, but I may have overdone it slightly. Oh well, at least the story proceeds, and I'll finally be out of this Wutaian camp in no time! Now that Cloud's plan has finally been revealed, I'll need move quickly before any excitement I've generated dies down (assuming I've generated excitement, of course – it's hard to tell without the kind of feedback other fics get. My next project, if I do one, will either have to be romance, humour, or something with Vincent as the star. That'll rake in more readers. Mwa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha).

**Peace's End**

**By tfa1**

Chapter 30: The Man without Hope

Zephyr Locke groaned annoyingly as he was dragged all the way to the arena. "Why do _I_ have to do this?" he whined.

"If what they say about you is true," explained Lady Yuffie, "then you're a real powerhouse. If I spar with a weakling I might as well not be training. At least you're… _almost_… as strong as I am."

"I don't want to unleash my strength… not again…"

"Then contain it," the Lady commanded as if defying nature was a piece of cake. Zephyr found it ironic that Yuffie, who obviously had issues that she wasn't about to get over, was telling him that solving personal problems was extraordinarily simple. "Self-control is the key."

"Hypocrite," the man muttered under his breath. Yuffie seemed to be too busy preaching nonsense to notice.

"Think of your problems as a baking pie. If you bake it too long, it will explode. So, to prevent the explosion of your pie, you should take it off the heat. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"I didn't know pies exploded if you cooked them too long."

"Do you cook?" Yuffie asked.

"No."

"Good. In that case I'll pretend that I do cook and say that yes, the pie will explode."

Zephyr smacked his head. He didn't know which Yuffie he liked better; the unreasonable narcissist or the egotistical fool. _Well_, he thought to himself,_ at least this version's trying to help_.

"We're here!" the leader of Wutai announced. The makeshift arena stood before the pair, looking quite unimpressive. In essence, it was a patch of lifeless ground surrounded by a wooden fence. It looked more like a dead farm than an arena, but Yuffie didn't seem to mind. She leapt over the fence and picked up a metal cross-like thing that was propped up against it. "Come on!" she called to Zephyr, who wasn't moving.

Matter-of-factly he said, "I don't have a weapon."

"Oh, right!" exclaimed Yuffie, remembering something as she turned to her servants. "Where is the sword I requested to be brought along? Which of you has it?"

A poor excuse for a man stepped up, quivering slightly. He handed the sword to Zephyr, whose eyes went wide with dismay. "_Sorrow_? That's the name of the sword you chose for me? Who names these things!?" he shouted.

The Lady snorted, as if offended. "_I_ chose the name. I have heard the stories of your exploits, Zephyr, and I knew that you'd need this more than anyone."

"Don't I have enough sorrow as it is?"

"Enough? What, exactly, _is_ enough? I suppose you'd say that no sorrow is preferable, wouldn't you? When I want to wake up, I pinch myself. When I think I've just hallucinated, I pinch myself. Why? It is the pain from my pinch that calls me back to reality; it is pain that reminds us of who we are. I gave you _Sorrow_ so that you could remember that you feel sorrow; so you could remember that you _feel_, as all humans do. This sword is a reminder; a reminder that you are human with feelings like the rest of us. Reject it if you want to but I thought you of all people would need that reminder."

"…" Zephyr was not sure what to say. "Thank you, Yuffie… I… feel like such a fool…"

Yuffie snorted again. "If you feel like a fool now, you'll feel like a moron when I pummel your little silver head into the ground. Come on, Blubber-boy, I need to train and you need to get your pie out of the oven."

- - -

"Thank you, Bishop Valentine. I don't know what I would have done without you," Lucy said to the pale bishop standing solemnly in a corner.

"It was nothing… I was looking for a reason to give Yuffie a piece of my mind."

"Why do I get the feeling that there was more to it than that?"

"Are somehow insinuating that I'm trying to deceive you?"

Ms. Moon chuckled at his comment. "Bishop Valentine, I'm a lawyer, and as such I'm _very_ well versed in the art of deception. And you, my mysterious friend, are hiding something."

Vincent was no fool – he knew repressing emotions could only result in difficulties. But Vincent was Vincent. Sharing his feelings with anyone would have been as awkward as watching a cat bark. "I wanted to protect you. I promised that I would." Vincent Valentine congratulated himself for adding in that bit about the promise; _that_ would keep her off the trail.

"Thank you," said she. Lucy seemed content with the bishop's answer. "Oh, and before I forget… I'd like you to have this now, in case we never see each other again." She pulled out of her purse a miniature flashlight. "It'll help you fight the darkness," she commented jokingly. Vincent accepted the keepsake with a bewildered look on his face.

"What do you mean 'in case we never see each other again'?"

"I thought you were marching off to battle tomorrow!"

"I'm your bodyguard remember? I swore an oath to protect you. I can't simply leave you here when all hell is about to break loose."

"Oh, but Vincent, you've already done an admirable job of protecting me," Lucy said, smiling. "You've ensured that I will stay where it's safe; I shouldn't ask any more of you. Your friends will need you."

"You're not scared?"

"I was, before… But I have nothing to be scared about anymore. Simply knowing that the great Vincent Valentine will be defending the Planet with flashlight in hand will be enough to help me sleep soundly."

"You will still be in danger here. The Empire has many-"

"Vincent," she interrupted, "I'll be fine. You have more important things to do other than worry about a single human being. If the Emperor isn't stopped, then it doesn't matter how well you protect me. All will come to an end. You must stop him, Bishop Valentine. I know you can. Promise me that you will save the Planet."

"I promise," said the dark-haired man. "And I ask that you promise to stay safe. I cannot loose you again." Vincent mentally slapped himself for letting his feelings slip. He had been so careful…

"But Vincent, you never lost me in the first place."

Why she ever said such a thing, Vincent would never know. He was content to accept her words, perhaps finding more meaning in them than Lucy had intended. Walking out of the lawyer's tent with a new flashlight to chase away the deepest darkness in his soul, Vincent Valentine felt ready to take on the world and fight the friend conquered by despair.

- - -

As if fate loved to spite him, Zephyr made a discovery that turned everything he believed about Lady Yuffie VII upside down. The Lady, as it turned out, actually _could_ fight. And she didn't just fight well – she fought superbly. All her quips about how weak others were compared to her, which Zephyr had always thought were laughably inaccurate, didn't seem now to be completely without merit. The swordsman would dodge her metal cross only to find that she was right beside him readying a punch. When he dodged her attack he'd find that her weapon, like a boomerang, was on its way back to slice him.

Sparring with Lady Yuffie VII was like sparring with two different people: one a deadly blade wielder with exceptional aim, the other a talented martial artist. He wondered how such a spoiled brat could have become such an efficient fighter, and after their bout the Lady answered his questions with a smile on her face. She had, strangely enough, enjoyed herself.

"It's simple, really," she explained to him over a cup of tea. "The best way to ensure survival is to become a survivor. There's no better way to stop an assassin than to become his equal, or even his superior. When the Empire throws fire, my people try to douse it by throwing water. I have changed all that; I have become the fire, and now I've become virtually impervious to the Empire's attempts on my life."

"Amazing… If only I was as strong against my nemesis as you are against yours…"

Yuffie continued to smile supportively. "You can become strong!"

"How?" Zephyr asked.

"Well, the most important step in becoming powerful is to know what power is. You must know your goal before you can attain it; you must know it, develop it, and only then can you use it. I used to think I could become powerful by convincing myself and others that I was strong, but then Bishop Valentine showed me that I was accomplishing quite the opposite. Only the weak try to flaunt their power; while trying to convince myself I was strong I ended up convincing everyone that I wasn't. Power isn't gained by denying the lack of it, but by accepting what you have and developing it. You don't give yourself enough credit, Zephyr. You have the power to defy destiny; you wouldn't be allied with us otherwise."

"My destiny is catching up to me. I cannot escape it."

"Then fight it!"

"It's not that simple!"

"What isn't simple about it!?" Yuffie demanded. "Just continue doing what you've been doing, only better."

"Jenova has survived millennia, fighting heroes and the Planet itself! How can I hope to combat that kind of power!? No one, not even the greatest hero that ever lived, can withstand and defeat her."

Yuffie stood up, with something akin to sadness reflected in her eyes. "I gave you _Sorrow_ to help you, but I can see that I was too late… One of the most characterizing traits of our species is the belief that we can do anything – it is what gives me my strength. It's this trait that makes humans annoyingly arrogant and abnormally resilient. Zephyr… if you cannot summon up the humanity needed to arrogantly defy Jenova, then how can you hope to resist her? If you truly believe you cannot win, then all you've done is admit defeat.

"I wish I could help you, but it seems Jenova has already won."


	31. Chapter 31

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy 7 and all its associated characters, locations, etc… are property of Square Enix.

**Author's Note**: Update at last! Forgive my inactivity over the past while; I've been concentrating on other things recently. Regardless, I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's not quite what I had first intended it to be (especially with regards to length), but whatever. Fighting isn't everything.

**Peace's End**

**By tfa1**

Chapter 31: Hope, Unearthed

If Nanaki didn't feel so alone in this wasteland, he would have laughed. He didn't know how long he'd been walking, but he'd at last come to his destination: the place where he'd find the white glow. Nanaki could make out the shape of the dilapidated old building; its ancient wooden walls rotted beyond recognition. How it had survived through all these years was a complete mystery to the Chief; it seemed almost… supernatural. This location was special in so many ways. It made Nanaki want to laugh, remembering all that had transpired here; all the joy that had been shared here.

Below him, defying the ages with its ancient walls stood the old church where Aeris had grown her flowers.

To return here, to this place of sheer happiness in an era of pure despair, was a highly surreal experience. The nostalgia was overwhelming, filling Nanaki with feelings of hope and joy he hadn't felt in many, many years – and yet he felt something… more… He sensed a taint within those walls. He sensed malice. It was separate from the church and from the white glow, but he could feel its presence nonetheless.

Chief Nanaki was suddenly overcome with a sense of foreboding. The hairs upon his back stood on end and sweat dripped from his fur. He could feel the evil's power; he knew its strength. If Nanaki faced it, alone as he was, he feared that it would spell his doom.

But he had come too far to give up now. Nanaki was old, and he knew it. Even if he gave up right here and fled back home, his time on the Planet would be short nonetheless. The fear of death hindered him not – death was an inevitable aspect of life, and whether Nanaki faced it here or elsewhere would have made no difference. The end would still come. At least here, facing his fears and the great malice, he might be able to make a difference. He was hell-bent on claiming the white glow for the heroes of the Planet.

He picked his way forwards, reaching the doors to the church, and peered inside. A pool of water rested where a bed of flowers once thrived, but it was neither calm nor peaceful. It had been disturbed. The surface of the pool, normally flat as a mirror, rippled beneath the dark creature floating above it.

It was not Jenova. It was not Sephiroth. But it was one of their vassals: a shade adorned with tentacles and arms; its legs intertwined in a sickening fashion, ending in a point formed by its feet, like a stinger. Hues of black, grey, and a sickly yellow covered its misshapen body, twisted by Jenova and her hatred.

The being would forever be known as Lifeform H-N/A. Though Nanaki would not have known it, the creature standing before him had once had another name: Professor Joseph, Head of Operation Supernova. It was no longer human, merely a twisted shadow of a twisted man. Its identity and intellect had been stripped away, transforming Joseph into an unquestioning peon of a great evil.

H-N/A turned around, staring Nanaki in the eyes. Its own eyes were empty, hollow, glazed with nothingness. Its face was expressionless, having no free will of its own. But what caught Nanaki's eyes was its left hand, smoking; burning. It held an object within its grasp; a fist-sized white globe. The globe's sacred surface seared the flesh off H-N/A's tainted hand, but the creature did not set it down.

The globe, emanating brilliant white light, was the object Nanaki had come searching for. It was more than a simple sphere; more than a shiny rock giving off a glow. It was a materia, and this church was a mako fountain.

- - -

It had arrived; that fateful day when the future of the Planet would be decided. Today the heroes would make their stand, facing forces of limitless power. Cloud Strife himself, champion of champions, was their nemesis, as was time.

Lady Yuffie VII adorned her battle gear, prepared to fight for the future of her nation and her people. Bishop Vincent Valentine, once passive, was now taking action to protect the world from the man who had saved it 700 years ago. Zephyr and Taefis Locke, victims of history and science, were there as well, determined to finish off their mutual enemy. Despite the bishop's and the rebel leader's reservations about him, Smith the robotic cat was to fight; protecting his friends from covert operations.

Sid Highflier was not there. Chief Nanaki was not there. Bart Rockslide would not be there; he had an adopted daughter to protect and care for. The five rebels and their contingent of Wutaian forces would fight alone.

It was almost too much for them; pitted against impossible odds to fight a man who had done the impossible. Did they really have any hope of victory? Did they really have any hope of surviving one more day? All this fighting… all this strife… would it even amount to anything in the end?

The more they thought about it, the more helpless the rebels began to feel. Who were they to attempt such a feat? This Planet, miniscule in comparison to the rest of the universe… was it worth saving? Would their struggle make any difference in the grand scheme of things?

Did they deserve to fight for life? Did they deserve to live?

Out of all of them, Zephyr seemed the most depressed. He was the reincarnation of the greatest evil the Planet had ever known. Did he, this mini-Sephiroth, really have any right to live? If he survived, would he be able to continue defying destiny?

It was a question he could not answer. Indeed, Zephyr Locke did not _want_ an answer; none of the rebels did. What if God Himself despised this Planet? What if Jenova was, in fact, an angel of death; sent to undo the mistake that was humanity? Did humans not call her son, Sephiroth, the One-Winged _Angel_? Who really had the right to proclaim him fallen or not; who had the right to claim his will was evil? Wasn't it possible that humanity was the greater affront to the universe?

It hurt them to think such awful thoughts. Hopelessness pervaded the Wutaian attack force, reducing their morale almost to the level of the Imperial army's.

But there was one thing that saved them; a hope so strong it chased away their fears and crushed their doubts. The darkness seemed to melt away as it sped across the wasteland, ignoring the dirt it churned up; defying the cries of worry sent by its caretakers. As the soldiers marched away in solemn rows, a single piercing voice echoed through the darkness, sent from high atop a barren hill.

"You're my hero, Bishop Vawentine!" yelled the little Rockslide girl, waving farewell to the columns of warriors. When Dynamite Leone had given away his daughter to the bishop because he was a fan, Vincent thought him a lunatic. But now he realized that fate had brought her to them.

Gazing over to the hill at the 8-year-old in a billowing white dress, the rebels decided that if the universe truly hated humanity – if it truly hated that little girl – then it was not a universe worth living in. Whatever destiny had in store for them, they were prepared to face it.

The Wutaian forces marched on towards Rocket Town; to the end of the Empire; to the settling of everything.


	32. Chapter 32

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy 7 and all its associated characters, locations, etc… are property of Square Enix.

**Author's Note**: When I realized it had been two months since my last update, I knew something had to be done. Please forgive me for leaving you all hanging, but computer science assignments are bloody long and I've had quite a few of them. I realize there isn't a lot going on in this chapter, but mostly I just wanted everyone to know I'm still alive and hoping to finish this thing. I'm hopeful that this will tide everyone over until my next update (whenever that is), so enjoy! Oh, and I hope you all like my latest reincarnation.

**Peace's End**

**By tfa1**

Chapter 32: Eye of the Storm

Capturing the city had been a surprisingly easy feat.

The Wutaians were descended from a long line of ninja warriors, as was their leader. The supposedly elite guard of Rocket Town was no match for their honed stealth skills. Sneaking up on Rocket Town was a simple matter for them; dispatching the guards was child's play. By the time Zephyr was spotted on a security camera, alerting the Imperials to their presence, 90 percent of Rocket Town was under Wutai's control.

But that was beside the point. Within a few hours the city would be overflowing with Imperial forces. When Yuffie and friends failed a routine radio check-up, Imperial HQ made it clear that the Wutaian infidels would not last the night. There were few among the rebels who did not believe that claim.

And so they settled into the very centre of the city: the Rocket Complex. The Complex was essentially a fortified dome, with a large hole in the middle. There the rocket stood, as tall as a building, with a tunnel beneath it to redirect the flames during launch. A massive line of text ran up its side, indicating its name: the _Ragnarok_.

A select few were sent to man the turrets, including Taefis, whose fists would be no match for the fully-armed Imperial army, while Smith and his posse disappeared into the shadows. The Wutaian engineers, unfortunately inexperienced with rockets, began work on preparing for launch – but everyone knew they didn't have a clue what they were doing and wouldn't be ready before the army arrived.

An hour passed, and then another one, until at long last the rebels could distinctly hear the faint rumble of a military march. Each footstep brought the soldiers closer to their destination, like the tick-tock of life's clock. Time was running out…

- - -

Nanaki was grateful for one thing: at least the hulking beast didn't know how to use materia.

He had engaged in battle with Lifeform H-N/A; the creature still clutching the glowing orb. Although it was horribly misshapen and devoid of conscious thought, the monster moved with incredible speed. It floated above the ground, flying away just as Chief Nanaki would get close to it. With each lunge, Nanaki wouldn't even have reached the ground again before H-N/A would spiral downwards for an assault with its right claw.

Slashes ran down Nanaki's abdomen from his first failed pounce. The fight had become a twisted game of "who's was faster than who?" H-N/A, of course, was winning. Nanaki was fit, but he was old – he was no match for the Jenova-enhanced Professor Joseph at this age. If the Chief was to have any hope of winning, he'd need to use his brains.

And that's when his thoughts turned to the materia held in H-N/A's left hand. The creature's flesh continued to burn away; seared by its holy surface. Obviously blessed items brought great pain to H-N/A. Surely this was the reason for why Jenova hadn't come here herself; it would have hurt her just as much, if not more so.

But Nanaki could hardly fight corruption with a holy object he didn't possess. Ironically, considering he was in the remains of a church, the Chief couldn't find a suitable sanctified item. Even if, perchance, he was to find a blessed weapon, H-N/A would be too fast to hit anyways. What Nanaki needed was something that could spread, like a net or a machine gun. What he wouldn't have given for a dependable machine gun, as well as the proper hands for using it. H-N/A would have had a hard time dodging a barrage of bullets, rained upon it by a sacred firearm.

_A rain of bullets? Rain? That's it!_ Nanaki thought. H-N/A was fast enough to attack the Chief while he was in the air, but the creature simply floated about while the Fire Lion had his feet on the ground. The floor of the church was submerged in Aeris's healing water – only when Nanaki jumped out of the pool did H-N/A dare to attack. The creature feared the holy water as a human being fears lava.

So Nanaki dipped his mouth into the pool, scooping up a fair amount of Aeris's holy water as he did so. Then, with a full mouth, he leapt into the air, spitting the liquid out at H-N/A when it swooped in for the attack. The monster shrieked in agony as the fluid made contact with its exposed face, burning the cells it touched. The materia fell down into the pool, where Nanaki clamped his jaw upon it and ran away.

H-N/A regained its composure, chasing Nanaki out of the church and into the rotting streets of Midgar. The Chief was no longer within the protective area of the pool, and with each step the creature harassed the Fire Lion. H-N/A tore at Nanaki's flesh, its speed too much for him. The aged feline could feel his legs relenting beneath the creature's brutal mauling, and he was not surprised when the bone in his front leg snapped, sending him sprawling onto the dirty ground.

He held on to the glowing materia with all his might, though he suspected it would do him no good in the end. Feelings of helplessness, hatred, and pain coursed through him with each strike. Each tug of the materia weakened the grasp of his jaw, but Nanaki remained resolute.

Eventually the thrashing stopped, as H-N/A raised his claw to deliver one final, fatal blow. Before he could strike, however, a deafening bang caught the creature by surprise. Looking up, Nanaki spotted Father Sufur, armed with an impressive-looking shotgun, coming to his aid. The Godaian priest fired again and again, knocking Jenova's minion away from Nanaki and tearing it to shreds.

But H-N/A would not be felled. Although the rest of Vincent's Godaian priests were nearby, they were burdened with helping Brother Tson and could not protect Father Sufur as he was forced to reload. Chief Nanaki watched in horror as the clawed beast hurled itself forward, pinning Sufur to the ground. With a sickening crack, the priest's right arm was broken, rendering his gun useless.

Nanaki tried to shout at the creature, but the bright materia was still held in his mouth, muffling any sound he managed to get out. He strained to yell without releasing his prize, but it had no effect. However, as if the energy with which he tried to scream was transferred to it, the materia in his mouth began to vibrate and brighten, until at last a streak of white light issued forth from the sphere straight at H-N/A; a magic spell Nanaki could not recall ever seeing before in his life. A piercing shriek was the last sound the vile servant of Jenova ever made, as its body disintegrated beneath the holy beam.

For a minute Nanaki sat in shock, long enough for the Godaians to reach Father Sufur. He was bloodied and terrified, but he would live. The old Fire Lion limped over to them, grateful to Sufur for saving his life even though he had left the lot of them behind. Although he was unable to mend the broken bones, with a few Cure spells, Nanaki stopped the bleeding. Together, they helped each other to their feet and made their way back home.

- - -

Her name was General Donna Corn.

While much of the Imperial population was impoverished and starved, General Corn was the daughter of an Imperial bigwig, and with his wealth and power he'd provided Donna with enough food to become the largest woman in the Empire. She was a whale of a woman; an almost perfect circle with a diameter of five feet. And she was filthy rich.

Men groveled before her; kissed the ground upon which she walked - all in an effort to grab even a fraction of her fortune. But General Donna Corn was no fool, even after the unfortunate stroke that left her with a speech impediment, and any man who wanted a piece of her would have to earn it. To make matters worse, General Corn had a odd fetish for cross-dressing men, and so "earning it," more often than not, involved a pair of high heels and some sort of wig.

Despite her almost comical shape, hilarious speech impediment, and odd fetish, Corn's men feared her. She was an imposing figure; both incredibly large and highly educated. She was brilliant enough to lead the assault on Rocket Town and happy enough with the Empire to see it through to the bitter end. She was, effectively, born to lead - the transition from ordering servants to commanding soldiers had been particularly easy.

Wutai's largest enemy raised her flabby arm, its skin rippling like the waves of a flood about to drown its victims. With her index finger she pointed directly at the Rocket Complex, shouting in her inarticulate, stroke-affected voice, "Bring-a to me zeir man-flessh!"


	33. Chapter 33

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy 7 and all its associated characters, locations, etc… are property of Square Enix.

**Author's Note**: Whew… I finally worked up to motivation to write this thing. Assuming I can keep it up then this story should be completed within a matter of weeks, if not days. At last I'll be able to end Peace's End!

**Peace's End**

**By tfa1**

Chapter 33: Hurricane Corn

The fateful hour had arrived. As if governed by a singular mind, the forces of Cloud's Empire swarmed down upon the Rocket Complex in unison. The sounds of gunfire and laserfire could be heard for miles as the Complex gun turrets clashed with Imperial weaponry. Imperials fell like ants, mowed down mercilessly by the defending Wutaians.

Zephyr could hear the screams of a thousand men beyond the fortified walls of the Rocket Complex. It was like a fanfare of death, formed of agonized praise for the Emperor that had abandoned this Planet. It seemed familiar to Zephyr… as if from a past life. He understood that requiem of death better than the gibberish Lady Yuffie VII was shouting at her men.

"Hold fast, men!" she cried out. "Let none speak of Wutai's cowardice, for we are no cowards! Since the beginning of time we have clashed with forces greater than our own, yet still come out standing – this day shall be no different! Let none speak of Wutai's weakness, for we are not weak! For hundreds of years we have stood fast against the armies of the Empire, never once giving in! And let none speak of Wutai's fallibility, for I am a god! (Just kidding…) For our children, parents, and all living creatures – for the sake of all that is good –let us save our Planet!"

The Wutaians roared uncontrollably, empowered by their leader's speech. The walls of the Rocket Complex itself seemed to reverberate with the echoes of their cries.

But even their roars of bravery could not drown out the Imperial howls of fury. With each man lost two more appeared to take his place. The Complex did not simply vibrate with the cries of Wutai; it also quaked with the force of thousands of soldiers bearing down upon it. It seemed as if they'd be able to crush the Complex just by ramming into it.

Yuffie twitched. To her men she seemed to be itching for battle, but internally she trembled with fear. It wasn't until now that she'd actually experienced the full-on force of a thousand men – never before had she fought a literal flood of enemies. The entire horizon seemed to be crawling with them – men who had nothing to live for beyond killing these invaders.

Wutai's leader began to wonder if her forces that laid in ambush back at the camp would be enough to repel this amazing force, but that's when she got the bad news. Taefis, gunning down Imperials from the turrets, had spotted fire in the distance – right where the Wutaian camp was positioned. They had been discovered. The forces of Wutai were scattered and alone, each with their own sizeable chunk of the Imperial army to deal with. Yuffie could only hope that her ambushed forces had enough skill to survive an Imperial attack without the defensive fortifications the Rocket Complex provided.

Then again, it didn't look as if these defensive fortifications would be defending for much longer. Already Yuffie could see cracks forming along the three reinforced steel gates spread equidistantly away from each other along the Complex's perimeter, pounded upon by a being Taefis could only describe as a walking boulder.

Eventually, the north gate burst open, revealing the nemesis of Lady Yuffie VII: General Donna Corn. Her massive girth took up half the doorway, with Imperial forces pouring through on either side. Before a clean shot could be taken at her, the General moved with amazing speed towards the next gate, preparing to cave that one in as well.

As much as Yuffie wished to pursue her, there were more pressing matters at hand. That clash of wills would have to wait until she dealt with hostiles in the immediate vicinity. Together she stood with Zephyr and Bishop Valentine: a trinity of powerful combatants, and with a single cry they leapt into the fray.

With _Sorrow_ grasped in his hands, Zephyr twirled like a spinning top, cutting down Imperials like a lawnmower cuts grass. Through the soldiers he carved a bloody path of destruction; the type of path he had tried so hard to avoid. Bishop Valentine, almost amusingly, hopped atop the Imperial soldiers' heads, shooting others as he did so. With each step he took out two enemies; two birds with one stone – one was knocked out by the force of his boot, the other gunned down with precise accuracy. Yuffie was equally as graceful, fighting in a fashion that could only be described as dancing. She had learned the rhythm of death, and could dance to its tune. To Zephyr, there was no quality in Yuffie so redeeming as her ability to kill with grace.

As the Imperials poured in they inched closer to the Rocket; too numerous for the three warriors to fight off. With great, arcing sweeps of his sword _Sorrow_, Zephyr ended the lives of those closest to the Rocket. Bombs were set in place – he kicked them away. Suicide bombers ran to the front – he turned them the other way around. The battle appeared to be manageable until the south-western gate collapsed beneath General Corn's onslaught. Bishop Valentine, still hopping on heads, rushed over to meet the challenge of delaying the attackers. Taefis could almost have laughed at his antics if the current situation wasn't so desperate.

The soldiers pouring through Vincent's gate soon learned that he was a considerable match for them. Howling with a defender's wrath, the Galian Beast was unleashed from within Valentine. Claws cleaved through flesh and bone, and only fools tried to run past the creature. "Death is come!" he exclaimed, "Flee or face the wrath of the Galian Beast!" Many fled; those who didn't paid for it with their lives.

Great thuds shook the Rocket Complex as the last of its gates was torn asunder. Amidst rubble and rock stood the imposing Donna Corn, not even a bead of sweat upon her brow. The same could not be said of Yuffie. But, from this gate not a soul dared enter, and soon Lady Yuffie knew why. In each hand General Corn held a flail; each as heavy as Bart Rockslide himself. She picked up each as if it were child's play.

"Feest onn may powwerrrrrrr!" the general exclaimed comically.

Slowly but surely she began to twirl, turning and turning and turning until she had gained enough momentum to begin spinning as fast as Zephyr: a miniature hurricane of flab and flail. A few brave Wutaians rushed at her, only to be smashed to pulp by the impact of her flails. Even bullets did not seem to fly fast enough to bypass her whirling defences. In truth, the bullets that made it to General Corn simply lodged in her fat, unable to do much harm. They were like paper cuts: painful, but otherwise insignificant.

"Itt's joost a flessh woond!" cried Gen. Corn. With baby steps she approached the Rocket, inching closer and closer while building momentum. Yuffie had no doubt in her mind that the massive Corn would be able to single-handedly topple the Rocket. She knew she had to stop her.

Thus was a clash of wills set in motion: two opposing leaders of two opposing armies prepared to fight each other, to the death if need be. Launching her giant shuriken, Yuffie watched helplessly as it was knocked out of the air by the general. She would need to get creative…

All those years of watching archaic videos of mainland baseball would finally come in handy. With a running charge, Yuffie dropped to the ground and slid right into her target: General Donna Corn's ankles. "Safe!" Yuffie exclaimed as the massive woman lost her balance and began to fall over. For Yuffie, who now found herself directly underneath the general, time seemed to slow down and her life flashed before her eyes. Very soon, the self-proclaimed Goddess of All Creation would be crushed by a couple hundred pounds of blubber.

As if sent from above, Taefis abandoned her post and connected a flying kick with Donna Corn's face. The enemy general was sent sprawling on the floor, just a few feet away from Yuffie's position. If Donna Corn had been in a position to form a cohesive sentence, she would have said "Look at all the pretty colours." Instead, it came out "Forshnen hag nog borgen."

A tremendous cheer erupted from the Wutaian defenders, but not, as Yuffie suspected, because of the defeat of General Corn. Descending from a hole in the ceiling of the Complex – the exit for a launching rocket – was a figure dressed in a blue jacket and beige jeans. He'd been wearing those since Zephyr had first met him outside of Nimbus Air Force Base, and he suspected they hadn't been washed since then.

"Thank you for flying with the Imperial Air Force, where death is only a mistake away," Sid Highflier proudly joked. The _Skyshredder_ had come just in time.

- - -

With the defeat of General Corn and the arrival of Wutaian air support, Imperial morale quickly disintegrated. The few who didn't flee on the spot were quickly dealt with, and the siege of Rocket Town was soon just a bad memory. As the _Skyshredder_ moved to defend the Wutaian War Camp, Sid Highflier took a long look at the _Ragnarok_: Cloud's second rocketship.

"Yup, she's a beaut!" he shouted out. "I'll have this thing flyin' in no time; perhaps even soon enough to stop that SOB I called 'Emperor'."

"Three cheers for me!" said Yuffie to her soldiers.

"High-fli-er! High-fli-er! High-fli-er" they responded. Yuffie was not pleased.

Within an hour Sid had the rocket prepped and ready to go. News from the _Skyshredder_ arrived just in time to let Yuffie know the Imperial assault of the Wutaian War Camp had been defeated, and casualties, although considerably high, were much fewer than they could have been. Smith hadn't been seen since he departed with Wutaian spies. The five victorious rebels were left to wonder if he survived the siege.

"Alright, fellas!" explained Highflier. "We only got four seats in here so I'll only be able to take three of you with me. One of you will have to stay behind."

There was no question as to who was going along: Bishop Valentine, Taefis Locke, and Zephyr. Yuffie had her people to attend to. The three rebels and Sid suited up in astronaut uniforms and prepared to launch into the black void of space, ready to decide the fate of the Planet.


	34. Chapter 34

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy 7 and all its associated characters, locations, etc… are property of Square Enix.

**Author's Note**: Revision! It seems I got the name of Cloud's sword confused – it's called _Agony_, not _Despair_. I've edited the next three chapters to reflect this fact, but nothing new has been added to them, so don't worry about re-reading anything.

**Peace's End**

**By tfa1**

Chapter 34: The Fire Within, Part 1 – Hollow Heart

The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness.

- Joseph Conrad

- - -

Space: the final frontier… To find themselves here was ecstasy to both Sid Highflier and Zephyr Locke. It had a certain appeal to the both of them; an inescapable grasp that held their desires and fixated their attention on it. For Sid to have given his attention so fully to something other than himself, booze, and girls was simply astonishing.

Also astonishing was that, for someone who'd never flown a rocket in his entire life, Captain Sid Highflier was doing extremely well… especially when one considered that he was drinking, eating, and smoking all at the same time. The man had researched space travel for so many years that flying the thing came as easily to Highflier as flying a plane – which also meant that it was no surprise Taefis and Bishop Valentine grew rather nauseated and disoriented, although it may have been due to the sudden disappearance of gravity.

Zephyr, however, couldn't care less about Sid's flying. He couldn't care less about gravity. And – much to the others' dismay – he couldn't care less about his mission. He was transfixed; in a sort of trance-like state. Zephyr did not love the sky – no, he loved the infinite space beyond it. This was where he was meant to be; he knew that now. The role of a space traveller was his true calling.

Why did Zephyr like outer space so much? Even he did not know the answer. Was he captivated by the millions of stars, glittering eternally for all to see; or was he entranced by the unconquerable darkness between them? Did he long for the freedom it offered; or did he thirst for the loneliness? Did he desire to flourish in a universe of infinite possibility; or bring suffering in a universe filled with nothingness? To these questions and more, Zephyr thought he'd never know the answers. At this point, though, these questions didn't matter. Nothing mattered… The Planet was a pebble, lost within an infinite abyss; an unimportant speck of rock…

But soon Zephyr's view was conquered by the Sun, its radiant surface blazing with a divine glory that only pure evil could take away… and indeed, that was pure evil's intent. Soon the world of man – everything ever built, known, or cared for – would be erased from the annals of universal history, remembered by naught but the monster that destroyed it. ROCKSLIDE knew this to be their final battle – the end of the Emperor, his Empire, and, in all likelihood, all human existence.

Through their highly advanced Imperial sunglasses, the rebels in the _Ragnarok_ were soon able to spot a great swirling vortex upon the Sun's surface: the 'Great Sunspot,' created by the Communion of the Planets' Gaias. Although they couldn't have known where it would take them, the four members of ROCKSLIDE found themselves certain it was their ticket in, and so with a great, big 'Yeehaw!,' Sid Highflier put the pedal to the metal and sent them flying into the very centre of the Sun.

- - -

'Nauseating' would forever be how the rebels would describe their trip through the Sunspot, although it really wasn't so. It was a strange sensation – the feeling of being torn from reality and placed in a fantasy; of being transported from one dimension to another. It was, by all means, 'weird.'

The heart of the Sun was like the interior of a great, hollow sphere, with walls made of flame. Surprisingly, the space that contained the Sun's Gaia wasn't amazingly large. In fact, it was a tad smaller than the Northern Crater – just small enough to be consumed by the explosion Cloud had in store. To find themselves here was a physical impossibility; a refutation of all scientific principles. It was as if a portion of an imaginary realm had pushed itself into the real world, creating room for a Gaia to exist, thrive, and act.

It was here that ROCKSLIDE found their nemesis: Emperor Cloud Strife. Upon his back he wore the sword called _Agony_, stolen from Zephyr at Stratus Palace. And held in his left hand he held a box decorated with lights and wires – a bomb. He floated there, suspended in the Sun's Lifestream, near his rocket. The ship's name was scrawled across its side, much like the _Ragnarok's_, and it was called _Fenrir_.

He did not stir when the rebels exited the _Ragnarok_. In fact, he looked quite dead. But they knew it was not so, for he spoke to them over the radio they all shared – one disadvantage of stealing Imperial spacesuits was that the Emperor would be able to hear everything they discussed with each other, even battle plans. "We see you've arrived. Bishop Valentine, Zephyr and Taefis Locke, not to mention Captain Highflier; you've all come… It's been a pleasure seeing you again… before the inevitable end."

"Cloud!" shouted Vincent, seemingly not realizing that Cloud would have heard him over the radio whether he shouted at him or not. "You don't have to do this! There are other ways to deal with this pain!"

"Pain?" Cloud laughed. "What pain? Heh heh – a puppet feels no pain. This is power. This is Jenova's power – the power to inflict sorrow." The Emperor continued to float limply; like a corpse.

At the back of his mind, Vincent could feel something nagging at him. This was not the final battle he was expecting. Hanging limp as he was, it almost seemed as if Cloud had forgotten his mission to blow up the Sun, or perhaps he no longer cared. As strange as the situation was, Vincent had no intention of reminding him of his mission, especially when all he had to do was push one little button. One wrong move and the entire solar system would be destroyed.

It also seemed odd that Cloud would have built four seats into his rocket when he seemed to be the only one present on this suicide mission. "Where are the others, Cloud?" the bishop asked.

"What others?" Strife asked with genuine confusion, but then he began to understand. "Oh… them… They're dead; killed by time and imperfection. It was so convenient too, wasn't it? They died right when we needed them most… abandoning us… Everyone but Jenova has abandoned us. They – Tifa, Aeris, and Cid – don't deserve the spots we reserved for them. It would have been better had they never existed."

"Cloud, don't say that!"

"Oh, but it's true… Why should they exist, when I – or rather, _we_ – do not?"

Vincent cocked an eyebrow within his space helmet. "I don't understand…"

For the first time since the rebels' arrival, Cloud moved. He shifted his head to get a clear view of Vincent Valentine. In their generic spacesuits, the members of ROCKSLIDE all looked the same – but somehow Emperor Strife managed to pinpoint his former friend. "Well, to be honest, it's still a question that bothers me… It could really go either way; whether I exist, I mean. Do you know the answer, Vincent? Do you know what defines a man's existence?"

Vincent looked to his colleagues, placed on either side of him. They shrugged, as he suspected they would. "I don't understand what you're asking me, Cloud."

"How can a man be certain of his reality? How can he determine whether the identity he's claimed as his own is real? The ability to change one's looks, voice, and words is the power of Jenova. I am nothing more than a consciousness encased by Jenova cells. There is nothing of Cloud left… How can I be certain of whether… of whether I was ever Cloud in the first place? Am I really who I think I am, or am I an extension of Jenova designed to look like Cloud Strife? Did… did I ever have an identity of my own? Vincent; did I ever truly exist?"

"Cloud Strife existed. He was my friend. I – I don't even _know_ what you are."

Taefis yelled at the limp Emperor, her anger like a razor's edge. "You are not Cloud Strife! Cloud was a good man; you… you are less than nothing!"

At last Cloud began to move his body, shaking violently with the maniacal laughter of a madman. "Not Cloud, you say… If we became a 'good man' – if that's what you want to call it – would we be Cloud Strife?"

"Any man who fights for the Planet is, in my mind, a Cloud. We are the sum of our experiences… and since you have all the memories of Cloud, who's to say that you're not him?"

The Emperor continued to laugh. "Trying to save us again, are you? You were always so forceful, Aeris…"

"I'm not Aeris!" Taefis fumed, "And I'm not Tifa! My name is Taefis!"

"Taefis…" the Emperor mused. "Both… and yet neither… No, you are not Tifa nor are you Aeris. You are their new vessel… their new container… their new…" The Emperor stared blankly at the Sun's flaming wall as he searched for the right word. As he searched, a sort of malice seemed to awaken inside of him; malevolence completely unlike the hero Vincent had known him to be. The Lifestream around him began to turn black as his hatred began to spill out from his insane mind. "…their new cage… You are the reason they're gone! You're the source of our agony!"

He let out a screeching wail that pierced the ears and racked the brain. It was neither a cry of anger nor power, but a cry of pure, unimaginable sorrow. The black Lifestream that surrounded him seemed to feed off this wail, and it grew in size to immense proportions.

A voice came over the radio – a voice from Cloud's suit – but it was not Cloud's voice. What they heard was something utterly and completely different; a creature that had forgotten it had a heart. "Where the Lifestream brings life, this Lifestream – the Netherflow – brings death… and sorrow… and pain… Feel its touch! Feel what I feel!" As the Emperor said these words, an aura of bloody crimson encircled his body, highlighting his figure as he pointed at the four rebels, directing the Netherflow to attack. "Kill them, Netherflow! KILL THEM ALL!!"

At once, the Netherflow propagated towards them. The once calm tendrils of the Lifestream now reached towards ROCKSLIDE, blackened by hatred and the scars of time. The four friends swam away as fast as they could, hoping it would be enough to escape the advancing Netherflow. But the Lifestream was like water, and no matter how hard they kicked their built-in flippers they could not outrun the Lifestream itself. It gained on them, and within seconds the Netherflow had caught up to ROCKSLIDE, prepared to bring inconceivable pain, and then end the sufferings of the friends once and for all…

It passed through them, allowing its hatred to twist about within their innards; clawing its way through each and every section of their selves. What surprised the four friends was that it didn't tear at their bodies, all flesh and bone – it tore instead at their very souls.

Cloud listened as the agonized screams of his reincarnated friends echoed throughout the Sun's Gaia. Their souls were racked with a spectral pain too horrid to imagine, and their minds were flooded with images of anguish and atrocity. They saw Nibelheim, Midgar, Gongaga, and Corel. They saw Shinra, Sephiroth, and Deepground. They saw Cloud, in all his former glory, spiralling down into madness.

It was terrible. There was no magic that could save them; no spell that could heal the spirit once it was damaged. Zephyr listened faintly as Cloud's laugh reached his ears, barely audible over the screams that reverberated through his spacesuit speakers.

A feminine voice spoke to him then, in his head. It was calm… collected. He could feel its presence within himself, and its confidence soothed Zephyr. For one moment he forgot about his spectral pain. // Cloud's hatred wanes// it said. // Should you survive, victory will come easily. //

Zephyr chuckled amongst the screams of his companions. "_If_ I survive. That doesn't look too likely right now."

// You have the power to conquer the Netherflow, Zephyr. You possess the same powers as Cloud. You must take hold of them, if you want your friends to live. //

Their cries of agony continued. It tore Zephyr's heart to hear them suffering so. The pain of their anguish hurt Zephyr more than the Netherflow passing through his own body. "I cannot help them. The power you speak of is tainted by evil – I will not let myself be consumed by it again… not again…"

// Then your friends will die// the presence said. // Have you not yet noticed? The power you hold guards you now from the Netherflow's hate. You _can_ conquer it. Only you can save them. If you do not accept the powers given to you, then the solar system – and your entire race – will be wiped from existence. //

Zephyr could not help but acknowledge the logic of the presence's words. If he didn't use his power, the battle would be lost. But if he did, how could he be sure he wouldn't be consumed by destiny? How could he be sure he wouldn't become the enemy he was facing? But eventually he decided it didn't matter either way. If the universe did not end by his hand, it would end by Cloud's. "What must I do?"

// You must give in to the forces of hatred and sorrow. The Netherflow will only respond to these feelings. // Zephyr listened intently as the Netherflow began to wrap itself around his spirit, preparing to absorb him into itself. // Release your anguish, and then you will have the power to absorb the Netherflow. //

Zephyr nodded, more for his own benefit than that of the feminine presence. Out of love, he gave in to hate. Out of the desire to save, he gave in to the desire to kill. He could feel the Netherflow raging around him, numbing his arms and legs as it absorbed his essence. Zephyr could see the Lifestream that bubbled within himself – his own life force – seeping out into the black abyss of the Netherflow to be consumed. There was no turning back now.

With a cry he touched the Netherflow's essence, bending it to his will. He felt its rage coursing through his veins, lending its strength to his already powerful body. His hatred conquered the black Lifestream's will – Cloud's will – and it was turned into Zephyr's slave. He sought to contain it, for its power was too great to destroy, and so with the aid of the feminine presence inside of him Zephyr sucked the Netherflow into his body; absorbing the black soul of anguish.

However, its strength began to overwhelm him, and Zephyr could feel the collective consciousness of the Netherflow – a psyche of pure hate and sorrow – brushing against his own mind. He could feel it twisting about his body; wrapping his mind in its lovely embrace. It wanted to become one with him; with the creature of fury he had made himself out to be. The Netherflow called to him; called him to let go of all that he was – everything he had ever been. His mind became filled with the memories of others' pain, threatening to engulf him with thoughts and feelings he had never known.

But, he did not lose himself to the black Lifestream. He could feel it invading his mind, yes, but he also sensed the other presence; the feminine voice that had guided him. It warded off the intrusion, defending the individuality of the identity called Zephyr. It rose like a champion above all the other life forces, staving off the assault of foreign memories like a mother protecting her young.

This experience was wholly new to Zephyr. Not in his recent memory could he remember a parental figure guarding him from the hurts of life… He had killed all his parental figures, after all. It offered him a comfort unlike any he had ever known – the comfort of security and parental reassurance. Finally it felt as if he'd been accepted by something – accepted despite the monstrosity he had been made to become.

The presence embraced him, and he welcomed it. He relished it. Through this presence, he rediscovered that part of himself that had known what love meant. He had rediscovered that part of himself that trusted other beings.

And so, the presence embraced him. It defended him. It protected him.

And it conquered him…

// Now, Zephyr, our Reunion can finally begin… //


	35. Chapter 35

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy 7 and all its associated characters, locations, etc… are property of Square Enix.

**Author's Note**: And here it is; conclusion of the Battle for the Sun and my longest chapter to date. I hope you all enjoy it, even if most of the battle is more verbal than physical.

**Peace's End**

**By tfa1**

Chapter 35: The Fire Within, Part 2 – One Winged Devil

Some people say they haven't yet found themselves. But the self is not something one finds; it is something one creates.

- Thomas Szasz

- - -

It was a miracle. Just as Bishop Valentine had begun to feel his soul being drained away, the black Lifestream had disappeared. Netherflow was gone.

But it did not come without a cost. Right after he had finished consuming the last of the Netherflow, Zephyr's hands shot to his head. He clutched it and writhed in agony as his mind was attacked by the fury of the Netherflow. And then, almost as quickly as it had begun, he went limp. Like a corpse, Zephyr's body went rigid and he sank… lower and lower into the bowels of the Sun. It seemed… as if he was no more…

"ZEPHYR!!!" Taefis yelled – her cries falling on deaf ears. Both Sid and she moved to begin swimming to the corpse-like man, but Vincent stopped them dead in their tracks.

"Zephyr has given us back the gift of life," he said as he pointed his weapon at Cloud Strife. "Let us not squander it." As much as they hated to leave Zephyr like that, the other two rebels complied. The worst type of sacrifice was a wasted one.

To Cloud's credit, and much to ROCKSLIDE's surprise, the Emperor said nothing. He did not taunt, and he did not laugh. He merely stared at the fallen Zephyr, regarding him with… something. Was it respect? Or was it, perhaps, envy? Whatever it was, something seemed to soften within Cloud's heart, and the rebels could have sworn they saw the intensity of his crimson aura weaken. "There was once a time when that would have been me; giving my life up for my friends," he said, almost kindly. But his kindness was cut short when he drew his sword, _Agony_, from its sheath. "But do not worry – your pain will be short lived."

With lightning speed, granted by his Jenova cells, Cloud rushed at the party of three. He headed straight for Bishop Vincent Valentine – almost certainly the greatest threat – brandishing a sword larger than his own torso. Having braced himself for the inevitable swipe, Vincent managed to duck underneath Cloud's attack with barely an inch left between him and the blade.

Sid Highflier used this opportunity to lunge at Emperor Strife with his spear while Taefis circled around behind him. She hoped to catch the Emperor while he was busy dealing with Sid. Unfortunately for her, he managed to accomplish this rather quickly. Cloud moved to the side and watched as the spear passed harmlessly before his face, grabbed it and tossed Sid in the direction of _Fenrir_, the Imperial rocket. By the time Taefis reached Cloud, Sid had already been dealt with, and her momentum prevented her from turning the other way. She had propelled herself straight into his outstretched hand.

Taking firm hold of Taefis's spacesuit, Cloud brought up his weapon and held it to her neck. "All I need to do is slash your suit, and the Lifestream will take care of the rest. What would you prefer: death by Mako poisoning or death by - ?"

Cloud was interrupted mid-sentence as Vincent Valentine hurtled his fist into Cloud's helmet, cracking it and breaking his hold on Taefis. He shot at the exposed Emperor, puncturing holes into his spacesuit. The Lifestream flowed in through the holes, flooding Cloud's consciousness with memories that weren't his own. For a moment Cloud's body went rigid, and it seemed as if he had succumbed to Mako poisoning. But even Taefis knew he had been through this once before. The Lifestream alone did not possess the strength to erase the Emperor's psyche.

"Stop this nonsense, Cloud! Stop trying to act as if you were a villain!" Vincent screamed.

The Emperor's response came quickly and without hesitation. "Ah, but I am a villain. Cloud Strife is dead – only the Emperor of Strife remains."

"Oh, really?" mocked Taefis. "Then why haven't you blown up the Sun yet, oh great scoundrel?" Vincent flinched as she said this. Egging Cloud about this was not, in his mind, the smartest thing to do.

"I wanted to toy with you – all of you – before the inevitable end."

"Are you sure?" said Taefis as Vincent smacked his head. "Are you sure you're not just stalling; waiting for the right moment to be a hero again?"

"The hero is dead. He was weak… unable to prevent even the deaths of those he most cared about. You – you amateur – you know nothing of the suffering that comes with heroism. I grew tired of sacrificing myself for the good of others, when they did nothing to help me in my time of most dire need. They don't _deserve_ a hero. _You_ don't deserve a hero. You understand _nothing_ of what I've had to endure!" Cloud easily kicked a charging Sid Highflier back in the direction he'd come. It was like watching a fly being swatted; only this time the fly was able to spout profuse profanity. "You don't know what it's like to lose your humanity!"

Sorrow… Now Vincent understood what Taefis was doing. "And what about me, Cloud?" he asked. "What makes _us_ so different, eh? Have I not endured the same pains as you? Have I not fought the same demons as you? You have no idea how alike we are. We've both lost someone precious to us; we've both had horrible experiments conducted on us. The fundamental difference between you and me, Cloud, is that you've strayed down the path of darkness. Tell me; why do you think that I have not succumbed to despair?"

Emperor Strife spat, "It's because you don't care about anything, sinner; not even those closest to you! When everything goes wrong all you do is sit back and watch!" He charged furiously, closing the distance separating Vincent and himself in barely a second. Vincent pulled an object out of his spacesuit pocket – a flashlight – and hit Cloud's head with it, smashing the helmet he wore. Cloud was sent reeling backward in a daze. The force of the impact jarred the flashlight into turning on – its concentrated light burning the irises of Cloud Strife.

"Then why am I here now, Cloud? Why would I be here if I didn't care? I've made mistakes; I'll admit that. However, I've learnt that you need to keep on fighting for what's right, even when all seems lost, because if you don't then everything you've ever had will slip through your fingers. Friends, family… lovers… you need to fight for them or risk losing them forever."

"I lost Tifa and Aeris before I became this way, Vincent… You know that the same as I do," screeched the Emperor, shielding his eyes.

"NO!" the bishop screamed. "You're a fool, Cloud; a fool like I was! Lucrecia, Tifa, and Aeris… they may be gone in body but they will always remain in spirit; I know that now. They never left you, Cloud; it's _you_ that left _them_! You defiled their memory when you turned to evil, shunning all that you ever cared for and all that ever cared for you! Look at them now, Cloud!" he demanded, pointing a scorning finger at Taefis. "Look at what you've done to them! They've returned, only this time in a single body. You've hurt them so deeply that now their spirits are joined; joined so that each can comfort the other.

"You gave up too soon, Cloud. You gave up on Tifa and Aeris, but they never gave up on you. Look; they're here with me now, awaiting your heroic return. You _don't_ have to do this, Cloud. There is more to life than death."

Vincent's words seemed to reach him at first, as the scarlet aura of hatred that pulsated around the Emperor's body began to rapidly dissipate. With his eyes adjusting to the flashlight's searing glare, the villain did nothing; he merely stared at Taefis. Staring… gazing… until finally he slowly re-entered a battle stance as a shadow fell over him. Vincent prepared to fight Strife one final time.

But that's when Vincent noticed that Sid had stopped dead in his tracks too, also staring at Taefis. No… that wasn't right. They were both – the Emperor and Highflier – watching a point quite a ways above her head, seemingly paralyzed on the spot. Reluctantly, Valentine looked to his female friend, who was also bathed in shadow.

The creature that cast the great shadow was not Cloud Strife: it was Zephyr Locke. Only he was not himself; he had shed his spacesuit and been transformed by the Jenova cells in his body. In place of a right arm Zephyr featured a massive jet black bat's wing, glowing with an aura of hatred even stronger than Cloud's. In place of legs Zephyr had six dark tentacles, formed of the enslaved Netherflow.

But what caught Vincent's attention were his eyes, glazed over with the evil of Jenova and the suffering of the Netherflow. In them Vincent saw fire – pure, unruly fire. As he gazed into those orbs of malevolence, Valentine's mind was overcome with visions of atrocity, for the Netherflow lived within those eyes. But unlike his experience with the black Lifestream, the bishop's ears became entranced with a melody of death – that same requiem that Zephyr knew so well. He became hypnotized; paralyzed both by fear and by the hypnotic allure of death's song. They were more than eyes, Vincent knew. They were the very Gates of Hell.

This was not Zephyr Locke; those were not his eyes. These were the eyes of Jenova's second son; of the new Calamity. This was the final piece in her dark game.

This was the One Winged Devil.

And now Vincent Valentine, hero of the Jenova War, was locked within its gaze – he could see nothing else but those eyes and their anguished visions. He could not tear himself away from it, even as it readied its tentacles to assault the helpless Taefis, who was now also paralyzed by the Devil's glare. He vaguely heard the sounds of the Lifestream being disturbed by movement. He heard the sounds of death's melody, tempting him with its cold embrace. He heard the sound of his own breathing, soothed by the dark melody's promise of rest.

And he heard the sound of darkness cleaving flesh. In an instant, before Vincent could even shake some sense into himself, history was written. Destiny had been decided.

Blood had been spilled by Zephyr Locke…

- - -

Taefis had been knocked out, and when she awoke, she was met by a blinding pain in her lower back. She did not recall what had harmed her – everything was hazy. Her vision, her memory, her senses – they were all clouded by the sting of her pain.

With effort she tried to piece together the events that had left her in such a sorry state.

She saw Zephyr, his eyes blazing with a rage she'd only ever seen once before. He had been on the verge of killing her, positioning himself so as to skewer her on his tentacles of Netherflow. No matter how hard she tried, Taefis had been unable to move, unable to twitch… unable to scream.

The terror she felt then was all-consuming. It had nearly caused her to black out. She could recall hearing the Lifestream being displaced behind her, as if something was approaching from behind. But Taefis hadn't managed to find out what it was. Zephyr's tentacles flew at her, instinctively her body curled up into a foetal position, and then… pain…

Terrible pain…

The blunt force impact she had suffered had nearly shattered her spine, causing her to black out. But Taefis was grateful, for she knew that the pain she would have suffered at the hands of Zephyr would have been far worse than this… far, far worse than getting kicked violently by Cloud's boot.

She opened her eyes, finding the bright light cast by the Lifestream to be slightly overwhelming for her impaired senses. She looked up to where Zephyr was, and found her unlikely hero, Cloud Strife, skewered upon one of the Devil's Netherflow tentacles.

"Thank you…," she mouthed weakly.

- - -

Against all odds, the Emperor Strife remained alive. This seemingly fatal wound wouldn't even scar the Jenova-enhanced body of Cloud, let alone destroy it. The anguish he felt physically was nothing compared to the spiritual torment he'd endured for the past 700 years. Indeed, this physical pain seemed to ease his emotional agony, and in one moment Cloud had forgotten his strife and found the will to become what he had always been: a hero. In one moment, he saw his opportunity. Taefis's destiny remained undecided – would she fall as Aeris had at the Forgotten City, or survive like Tifa at the Nibelheim Reactor? He chose his path, sealing Taefis's fate as a survivor, and it made him feel… good… happy. He'd almost forgotten what those two words meant.

Impaled upon Zephyr's tentacle, Taefis's rescuer vaguely recalled a similar situation from his distant past. He recalled memories of Nibelheim – of Sephiroth – five years prior to Meteorfall. It was on that day that he had overcome his greatest nemesis; his greatest hero. That was also the day he had fulfilled the promise he had made to a little girl; a promise he'd made just before leaving to join SOLDIER. Even after 700 years, the memory of that promise remained crystal clear in his mind.

"_Hey, why don't we make a promise?" _("We knew you'd betray us… It was inevitable.") _Umm, if you get really famous and I'm ever in a bind…" _("Fortunately, we took precautions.") _"You come save me all right?" _("Even you cannot change destiny.") _"Whenever I'm in trouble, my hero will come rescue me." _("Aeris's reincarnation will die…") _"I want to at least experience that once." _("And this time, Cloud, just like before, you will be powerless to stop us.") _"Promise me."_

"I promise," Cloud said. "I promise…"

"Excuse us?" asked Zephyr in a voice that was not his own. It was the voice Cloud had used when speaking of Netherflow: the voice of Jenova.

"I promise," began Cloud, "to show you what a rectum looks like by pulling yours out through your mouth. I promise to ram my blade so far up your arse that I'll be able to perform brain surgery with it. And, most importantly, I promise to dance on the ruins of your machinations, as I always have in the past. I'll make you pay for what you've done to me, Jenova, and leave my face plastered in your mind to keep you awake at night, just like you did to me." The blonde man's face beamed with an arrogant defiance that only human beings could be capable of. It was the face of hope, the face of happiness… the face of a reborn Cloud Strife.

Zephyr snorted insultingly. "You? Ha! You are nothing more than a puppet; your promises nothing more than empty hopes. We are the source of your strength, Cloud Strife. Without us you are nothing, merely a living corpse commanding a fallen Empire. You will never be able to conquer our power."

Looking up at the creature's face, slowly, Cloud didn't respond. Those eyes – those same eyes that had paralyzed Vincent – had no effect on Cloud. Every scream; every hurt – he had seen it all before. The pain he saw in those eyes was a reflection of the pain he held in his own soul. "But what _is_ power?" Cloud finally asked.

"Ha hah ha hah ha hah ha hah! Don't waste our time with trivial babble!" screamed the Devil. "Do you really expect us to answer such a ridiculous question!?"

"Will you not answer it because you won't," Cloud snubbed, "or because you can't?"

Zephyr would not tolerate such an attack on his abilities. "Power is the ability to get what one wants, when one wants it. It is the ability to enslave another; to bind lesser beings to one's will. It is the strength to destroy; the strength to conquer; the strength of a god."

A voice sounded over Cloud's internal spacesuit radio. He vaguely recalled the voice as that of a man who had dreamed of joining the Space Program, a.k.a. Operation Supernova. He recognized it as the voice of Sid Highflier. "Power is the ability to accomplish a dream; the ability to take flight and forget the world."

Another voice spoke. It was Vincent Valentine. "Power is the strength to save the people one cares about. It is the capacity to conquer troubles and become a better man, despite all the pain of loss."

Finally, Taefis spoke out amongst her pain. "Power is the might to survive; to carve out one's destiny. It gives us our identity, and keeps us from fading away. Power is the source of evil, the source of good – the source of all humanity. We are nothing without it. We are nothing with it. Power is… nothing!"

"Insolent fools!" the One Winged Devil cried out. "You know nothing of power! Power is life! Power is everything! It is power that guides this universe – from power was it spawned; by power shall it end! Only the weak, the deluded, and the suffering would spout such blasphemies!! Fools; the lot of you!"

Zephyr's outburst did not convince Cloud. Indeed, nothing had ever felt as convincing to him as the words of ROCKSLIDE. "No…" Cloud told his enemy, still impaled upon its appendage. "Only the powerless seek power. Only the insecure seek its security. You, Jenova; my waking nightmare; my vile puppet master – you are powerless! Finally I realize the truth! Finally my eyes have been opened! My path has been illuminated before me!"

"Silence!"

"You kept me around to do your dirty work because you were too weak to do it yourself!"

"SILENCE!!!"

"What's wrong, Jenova? Are you so devoid of strength that you need a puppet to be your muscle? Are you so lacking in power that the only way you found to defeat your enemy was by turning him to your side?" The face of the Devil boiled with seething hatred. "Come on, show me this so-called power. Let's mosey, A-hole!"

Zephyr let out a terrible wail of fury, pulling his tentacle out of Cloud as he poised to deliver a final blow. But it was already too late. With the help of his former enemies, Cloud had overcome the demons within, and with a voice that resonated throughout the entire Sun's Gaia, Cloud shouted at the top of his lungs:

"OMNISLASH!"

Six tentacles flew at Cloud. With six swings of his sword, he cut them all to ribbons. The One Winged Devil's fleshy body was left open to attack; the fire in its eyes fading as it gave way to sheer terror. Cloud seemed to glow; his sword elongating with the force of his own determination. He slashed at the creature, gaining strength with each swing. All traces of Jenova's influence and the Netherflow were cleaved from Zephyr's body, leaving only a broken, yet alive, human in its wake. The horror in its eyes died down as it gave way to unconsciousness, and soon Zephyr's untimely transformation was nothing more than a bad memory.

The Emperor spoke to the ROCKSLIDE rebels, not even having broken a sweat. "This isn't over. We must move quickly. There's no telling what sort of fury Jenova will unleash on the Planet now that her plan has been thwarted." He swam swiftly to his rocket, _Fenrir_, pausing briefly before entering. "Vincent... Please forgive me for everything that's happened. I never thought… I should never have turned against you. Thank you… for believing in me."

"I wasn't the only one," was the other's only response.

Cloud nodded, and then leapt into _Fenrir_. His final battle – the battle that would decide the fate of the Planet – had yet to be decided. And he promised himself that he wasn't going to fail… not this time.

- - -

The two twin rockets, _Ragnarok_ and _Fenrir_, sailed easily through the vortex that would take them back to normal space. It was, as before, a disconcerting experience, but this time around, things were even weirder. Although they had just exited the Sun, they found themselves nowhere near it. Instead, they had landed somewhere in-between it and their Planet.

Cloud seemed to have an explanation. No one bothered asking how he could have known such a thing. // When we entered the Sun we entered a warped version of reality// his voice said over the radio. // Naturally, our exit into normal space was also warped. It's similar to the refraction of light as it enters a new medium, only we've been refracted through both time and space. I suspect we may have emerged days, maybe even weeks into the future. //

"Well, things certainly seem different around 'ere," Sid chimed. "Just look at the moon: it's #&$ red. Jenova's #&$ doing, no doubt."

Bishop Valentine didn't bother looking at the moon; he was busy analyzing what ROCKSLIDE had just been through. It seemed strange to him that Jenova hadn't commanded Zephyr to destroy the rockets, thus causing an explosion that would have destroyed the Sun. Hadn't that been the moment she'd been waiting 700 years for? Hadn't that been the culmination of all her schemes? It made no sense that she'd have let those rockets remain unharmed…

Unless she didn't want the rockets to detonate…

Unless her goal wasn't to blow up the sun…

As soon as he thought about it, it became perfectly obvious. In pursuing Cloud they had forgotten to chase Jenova. In protecting the Planet's front side from a Supernova, they had forgotten to watch its backside. It had all been a distraction; the most elaborate distraction in all of human history – and they had all fallen for it.

"That's not the moon," explained Vincent. "That's Meteor."


	36. Chapter 36

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy 7 and all its associated characters, locations, etc… are property of Square Enix.

**Author's Note**: Just like it was 700 years ago, Supernova was an illusion and Meteor is the genuine threat. I'm pretty sure an exploding star would have destroyed Jenova as well as the Lifestream she sought to absorb, so although I liked the whole blow-up-the-sun plan better, this one makes more sense. In other words, sorry for the unnecessary twist, but without it I wouldn't have been able to carry my story in the direction I wanted.

But, then again, if you haven't already learned to expect random twists then you haven't been paying attention to my writing style. It's just one of those things I do. And it isn't even the last one…

**Peace's End**

**By tfa1**

Chapter 36: Judgement Day

The twin rockets _Fenrir_ and _Ragnarok_ landed in a clearing on the outskirts of Edge. Meteor's shadow cast itself imposingly down upon the Planet; it was headed on a collision course for Edge. Time was running out for humanity… _fast_, and as far as anyone knew, there was nothing that could be done about it.

But even in their panic, the victorious Wutaians were organized enough to surround Cloud's rocket; collecting around it like moths around a flame. As the Emperor who'd brought so much pain to the world stepped out, he was met with cocked guns and pointed blades. It was far from unexpected. Emperor Strife gladly jammed his sword, _Agony_, into the ground and surrendered to his enemies. He was placed in shackles, and was being led away when he broke them with ease and strolled casually over to the _Ragnarok_. It was almost amusing as the ROCKSLIDE rebels stepped out of their rocket to see Cloud, unharmed, standing amidst a throng of angry, frightened warriors too afraid to approach him.

The entire ROCKSLIDE group minus Smith, who was nowhere to be found, reunited around the rebel rocket. It was hardly a joyous get-together, however. "What the _hell_ took you so long!?" Lady Yuffie VII fumed. "Were you fighting the whole time or did you just decide to have a freaking tea party!?"

"I'm sorry, Yuffie," soothed Vincent, "We were caught in a space-time anomaly. There will be time for explanations later, but right now we have more pressing matters to concern ourselves with."

"Gee, I hadn't noticed." The leader of Wutai had obviously not had an enjoyable time during their absence. Her hair was unkempt, as were her clothes. It looked like she'd been dragged through hell and back… twice. "The Imperial armies may be defeated, but Jenova's creepies have been harassing us ever since you left. I haven't even had time to count the casualties."

There was something in the tone of Yuffie's voice that told Vincent she was hiding something. Even Bart Rockslide seemed edgy. Although the bishop was loath to pressure them for information, there was a part of him that couldn't help but ask. "What kinds of casualties?"

He could tell right from the outset that whatever it was, it wasn't good. Yuffie mouthed words, but no sounds came out, and Vincent could feel his fear bubbling within himself until finally Rockslide spoke for her. "Smith's gone MIA," he explained. "We, uh… we dunno what's 'appened to 'im. And, uh… and then there's also Lucy." Vincent's heart skipped a beat, maybe two. "She went missin' for a few days, but she was found unconscious not long ago. There's been no word from the doctors… Last I saw o' her… she had taken a bullet for Marie…"

An eerie sort of silence fell upon the rebel group. No one spoke; no one moved. Eventually the chirping of crickets could be heard across the field, and even Meteor seemed to stop moving as if to watch what would happen next.

No expression crossed Vincent's face. Now, more than ever, it looked as if he was made of stone. He shook his head faintly, as if to rid his mind of unwanted emotions, and it suddenly struck the rebels how closely he resembled a corpse. "It doesn't matter either way…," he said feebly. "We have no way to combat Meteor… The Planet won't last the night, and neither will we."

"Well, actually," Nanaki's aged voice began, "there might be hope. Father Sufur!" One of Vincent's Godaian priests – the one named Sufur – stepped forward with a magnificent materia held in his hands. It surface was smooth as a baby's bottom, glowing with a bright luminescence that brought joy back into the hearts of all the rebels, except perhaps Bishop Valentine. His mouth remained a straight line; his eyes glazed over with feigned indifference. "This is what Jenova's cronies have been after," the 700-year-old feline explained. "It's a White materia. Vincent, we can win this! We can save our Planet!"

"Only the Cetra can use the White materia," the bishop panned. "Your hope is misplaced. Even if we had one of the Ancients around, there is no way the Planet would be able to answer our prayers in time. Holy cannot save us now."

"Vincent," Nanaki urged, "this materia is different from Aeris's. It has the power to command Holy – I saw it incinerate one of Jenova's minions with my own eyes! The Planet has grown over the past 700 years, Vincent. It now understands the threat Jenova poses. We've been given a gift: the magic of Holy. Last time we had to ask the Planet to save us, but this time it's the Planet asking _us_ for help. We have to try!"

Of all the voices Chief Nanaki expected in response, Cloud Strife's was not one of them. "The magic of Holy is contained in that materia?" he asked.

Amidst his confusion Nanaki nodded, and with a quick snap Cloud turned his attention to other matters. His gaze fell upon the two rockets they had just departed, and before Cloud could say anything Vincent Valentine knew what he was thinking. "Good Gaia," he whispered to himself. "You're insane!"

A mischievous smirk crossed the face of Cloud Strife. "Do you think that White materia will work with an elemental materia?" he queried to no one in particular.

- - -

By the time the twin rockets had been prepared for lift-off, Meteor had entered the Planet's atmosphere. There was no doubt in anyone's mind – stalling now would spell doom for all.

Cloud's plan was simple. By pairing the White materia with an elemental materia already in place in one of the rockets, the magic of Holy would flow through the rocket's hull and give it a Holy attribute. By impacting Meteor with a rocket ship, Cloud hoped that the catastrophic explosion caused by the detonation of the rocket engines would absorb the magic of Holy, destroying Meteor in a fantastic display of Holy fire. At least, that was the plan… But the rocket called for something more than a mere materia…

It would require a pilot; a human sacrifice.

Before Vincent could even finish asking who would be going, Zephyr volunteered. But it was not selflessness that drove him. It was terror: the terror that he'd again become the monster that he so feared. Zephyr Locke feared his destiny, and was prepared to end it with his own life. It seemed a fitting end – destroying both an immediate and looming threat with one life. Not a soul questioned his decision.

But, he wasn't the only would-be villain that wanted to do something heroic. Hesitantly, Cloud said, "I know I don't deserve anyone's forgiveness, and I know there's absolutely nothing I can do to atone for all the damage I've caused, but… if I am to be judged, spending the rest of my days imprisoned by the people I've hurt, or suffering the death penalty, I'd at least like to perform one final act… Please allow me to socket the White materia."

The cries of dismay and disagreement from the surrounding crowd effectively communicated the thoughts of Wutai on the matter. In their minds, Cloud was still dangerous – and who could really say he wasn't? Delivering the Planet's only hope into the hands of a maniac was hardly something they'd even consider, let alone agree to.

But, amazingly, and perhaps stupidly, Vincent handed the glowing orb over to his friend. "Even though you professed to do evil, you never once condemned your friends to death. If I can't trust you with this task, my sworn enemy and former friend, then there is truly no God in this world, and I will gladly die if that's the case. Aeris would never forgive you. Remember that."

The Emperor of emperors nodded his head, taking the White materia from Vincent's hand without either speaking another word. The trust they had once shared had not completely diminished, and even in his terrible state Vincent believed something of the old Cloud remained. He hoped against all hopes that he was correct.

A makeshift tent was set up a fair distance away from the rockets; a tent from which the rebel group ROCKSLIDE would watch the _Ragnarok_ blast off with Zephyr in the driver's seat to do battle with Meteor. Captain Sid Highflier gave Sephiroth's reincarnation the how-to on flying a rocket ship. His incessant smoking, drinking, and profanity could not hide the miniscule droplets of water that collected around his eyes. Even in saying goodbye the captain refused to voice his emotions, saying "Don't be stingy on the fireworks, ya hear!?" Zephyr didn't need a flashy declaration of friendship to know Highflier cared.

As he climbed up the side of the rocket and into the cockpit, Zephyr waved a heartfelt farewell to the friends who'd stood by him, even as the beast within threatened to destroy them. Their faith in him had given him the strength to make it this far. And now, he was determined to repay their friendship. So determined was he, in fact, that Zephyr almost failed to notice the torn piece of paper resting on the pilot's seat. Upon it was scrawled a note, addressed to him, from Cloud Strife.

_Zephyr,_ it said.

_I apologize for all the pains I've inflicted upon you. It was wrong of me to let myself be overwhelmed by evil, but after what I witnessed in the Sun I'm sure you understand what it's like. That is why I know you'll forgive me for what I've been forced to do. I've waited too long for this day to leave this to chance, so I've taken matters into my own hands. You'll never see me again. No one ever will. Please extend my goodbyes and sincerest regrets to your friends. They did not deserve the fates I thrust upon them._

_To the end of despair,_

_Cloud Strife_

It was almost surreal. Zephyr could have sworn he was dreaming – he prayed that he was. He glanced to the materia sockets embedded in the rocket's hull, and found two materia sitting calmly beside each other: one blue… and one green. The White materia was gone. Cloud was gone. Fate had dealt Zephyr a hand he couldn't play.

In an instant Zephyr Locke found himself darting for ROCKSLIDE's tent. Informing his friends of what had transpired seemed like the only logical choice he could make. There was nothing else he could do – no magic spell he could pull out of his sleeve to make Cloud appear before him with the materia in hand. There was no way he'd be able to find Cloud in the dark cast by Meteor's shadow; no way he'd be able to stop the inevitable from occurring. The end was drawing near…

The shock and surprise the rebels felt upon seeing Zephyr dashing towards them was made evident on their faces. Like their Jenova-possessed friend, the Planet's would-be saviours feared the worst. With sheer terror, not anger, plastered upon their faces, each and every rebel turned to face Bishop Vincent Valentine: the man who had delivered their last hope into the hands of a villain. The corpse-like man dropped to his knees and let his head hang – it truly seemed as if he'd made the biggest mistake of his entire life.

The ground began to shake. Lights flickered. The men and woman and children who had been evacuated from Edge panicked and scattered around the clearing, horror gripping their hearts and sweat gripping their brows. What they didn't realize was that Meteor was still quite a ways away from Edge. It was not the source of the tremors rumbling throughout the ground.

No one bothered to consider that the ground was quaking because a super-powerful and unstable rocket engine had just fired up, and was moments away from carrying _Fenrir_ into the heart of their troubles.

- - -

Everybody needs his memories. They keep the wolf of insignificance from the door.

- Saul Bellow

- - -

It had been hundreds of years since his last heroic act. Sitting here, in a rocket bound for the new Meteor, Cloud fondly remembered his old memories; those of fighting for the Planet, for its people, and, most importantly, for his friends. He couldn't remember feeling so inspired, so hopeful, in all that time. It had been so long since he was last… happy.

"Aeris… you sacrificed yourself for us so that we could live…," he said aloud. "It's time I returned the favour."

But, even as he said these words, he could feel Jenova's pull. She was in his mind, as she always was, trying to keep him from performing this final act. She spoke to him, soothingly at first, but when he brushed her incessant voice to the back of his mind she became increasingly more irritable; more sinister. The dark Jenova was not about to let Cloud ruin her plans after waiting 700 years to act.

But Cloud was thinking the exact same thing. After neglecting his duties as a hero for such a long time, Emperor Strife swore to himself that he would not give in to Jenova; not when it mattered so much. He knew that if he failed now… if he lost the White materia… all he had ever fought for, all he had ever cared for, would be wiped from the face of the universe; erased as if it had never existed. The blood of countless had been shed to preserve the Planet, including his own, and in this final moment one mistake could spell the end of all that. One wrong move, one single doubt, would have rendered each hurt ever suffered meaningless.

Cloud's resolve became strong. He maintained control of his body even though it was comprised purely of Jenova's cells. She fought with him for control while continuing to battle him with words. She tried to wrest the Emperor's hands from his control, but they remained glued in place. She tried to shake his resolve, but Cloud would not budge an inch. He had grown too strong for Jenova.

It was then that Jenova became desperate. Summing up all of her strength, she took control of that which Cloud had no power over. The individual cells of his body heeded her call, and strove to fulfill her commands. Cloud screamed in agony as his flesh peeled itself from his body; as his own self tried to disintegrate itself. It was only by his own determination that the Emperor was able to keep himself from fading away – his cells were not strong enough to overcome his will. Although he was left standing fleshless, Cloud remained in place, resolute and unyielding; his remaining cells unable to disobey him.

But they burned so… They burned with the need to obey the puppet master. They burned at her command. But no physical pain could sear Cloud so much as the memory slideshow Jenova put on for him. Before his waking eyes he saw the deaths of his friends, one by one, playing out as if they were happening all over again.

Cloud saw Barret, consumed in a terrorist attack on his oil fields. He had just finished evacuating the workers. Cloud saw Cid, dead from a heart attack. The man had survived lung, throat, and mouth cancer only to be killed by cholesterol. Cloud saw Yuffie, dead in her sleep upon a mattress stuffed with materia. She never managed to solve her back pain problems. Cloud saw Reeve, obliterated in a freak car accident. The criminal he was chasing was caught soon afterward.

And he saw Tifa, confined to a hospital bed, her wrinkled body ravaged by a million complications. Even in old age it had taken an army of diseases to take out good ol' Tifa. Finally he saw Aeris, sitting upon the altar, smiling weakly at Cloud even as fate turned against her.

The pain was overwhelming. He had failed each and every one of them; failed to keep them alive. Now he was alone. It would have made any normal man want to kill himself, but Cloud Strife was no normal man. Yesterday, had Jenova willed it, he would have fallen to pieces and died without resistance, but she had waited too long. For in those flashbacks of death he discovered the one thing that he had always missed: everyone, all his friends – from A to Y – wore smiles upon their faces. They had gone out happy. They did not blame Cloud for their fates – they welcomed it.

And in their faces Cloud Strife found the strength to go on. He had found hope. He told himself that he could do anything, because his friends had always told him that.

Here he was, Cloud Strife, arrogantly defying the evil Jenova as he had done so many years before. Against all odds he found that he had the strength to do it; he had the strength to cut his strings. Cloud Strife smiled happily, despite the agonizing pain he was experiencing. To feel Jenova's hatred, her fear, so strongly only gave him joy. To feel his fleshless body burn with an inner fire only showed him Jenova's desperation. Despite all her efforts, here he stood; still charging head-on into what he knew was certain death. In spite of himself, Cloud laughed.

Perhaps he was still mentally unstable, or perhaps he was simply joyous to be doing what he had so enjoyed doing. He was fighting his life-long nemesis, and winning once again. He was invigorated, ecstatic; insane with joy.

And so Jenova looked on from the ruins of the Space Program Facility at the Northern Crater. She reached out her mind to the rocket _Fenrir_, hopelessly trying to stop the inevitable as it blasted into space. It was horror to her eyes, and torment for her mind. She felt the last vestiges of her hope drain away as a flash of rainbow light sparkled in the distance. The distant rumble of her defeat shook the foundations of the Planet and shattered the belief in Jenova's power. The great Meteor Jenova had summoned dissolved beneath the magic of Holy, the fury of the rocket's explosion, and the force of Cloud's will.

With a furious boom and a swirl of magnificent colours, Meteor was destroyed and all of Cloud Strife's pain was washed away… Jenova's plan had failed.


	37. Chapter 37

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy 7 and all its associated characters, locations, etc… are property of Square Enix.

**Author's Note**: I hope I did that last chapter justice. I sort of rushed through the first part and really didn't know what to write. Reunions are not my cup of tea. Whatever…

As far as random twists go, this chapter is probably my worst. You may or may not have seen any of it coming, but it was a necessary evil. If you remember the first chapter of my story then you'll know I couldn't let this be a 'happily ever after.' It can be happy, just not eternally so. Besides, now I have room to do a sequel should I ever choose to.

**Peace's End**

**By tfa1**

Chapter 37: Black Smith, Forger of Lies 

It was the day after Meteor's destruction, and already work had begun on removing the Empire's vile taint from the world. Watching it all happen in a circular room of Stratus Palace, Smith stood alone. Mostly blue in colour, the chamber was well lit by an enormous window set across from the room's entrance. About 20 meters wide, it offered an excellent view of the dismantling of the Sky and the reintroduction of light to the Western Continent. But Smith wasn't here to admire the view, and neither was Zephyr. The latter strode into the room, a circular object dangling from his left hand.

Smith didn't turn to look at Zephyr as he walked in. "This has been an excellent victory for us, my friend. Jenova's plot has been foiled and the Empire lies in ruins. We're heroes now!"

Zephyr's tone was not friendly. "Don't play games with me, Smith."

The feline chuckled slightly. "In a foul mood today, are we? I'm certain you must have a good reason…" He paused. The robotic cat had gone missing just after the assault on the Empire – shouldn't Zephyr have been happy to see his friend alive? Then again, Smith wasn't happy to see his friend either. He'd gone through so much trouble to keep himself hidden. "How did you find me, Zephyr?"

"I recalled you wanted to create a utopia; one to replace the Empire," Zephyr answered. "I knew you'd consider this the ideal place to start. What better place to revive the Empire than from its very seat of power?"

It was a harsh accusation to make, but Smith knew such a claim was not completely without base. "Revive? Hah! I'll admit you are perceptive, but incorrect." If Zephyr was willing to accuse his own friend of turning against the cause, then he obviously had some juicy, and incriminating, evidence. Here, at the end of the Emperor's reign, Smith knew it would be a good time to finally reveal the truth. He spoke without hesitation. "It's true I desired the Emperor's throne for myself, but not because I liked the Empire – far from it. I wanted to shape it to my preference; take actions Cloud would never have dreamed of. But, the weakness of my kind proved to be our downfall, and Cloud decided to replace us with the new Jenova Project before I could act." The robot smiled maliciously. He was obviously proud of all he had accomplished. "Luckily I had a man on the inside; a man who had begun lobbying for genetic experimentation only a few years after my creation. He was Professor Ghast, your 'father,' so to speak. He helped me escape the Emperor's seizure of all robotic spies, and we worked together in secret to create the most powerful being in existence: you."

"It's funny that you should mention Ghast," Zephyr mused, "seeing how I brought him with me." He let the circular object he was holding, a decapitated head, fall to the floor. "I found him at the tent where we first met. At first I wondered how such a small creature could dig such a big hole but then I realized that you made him dig his own grave."

"Like I said before on the _Skyshredder_, Ghast fulfilled his purpose in life. I had no use for him so I disposed of him. It's kind of a shame really… he was such a good puppet…"

Zephyr spat. "You're more of a monster than I could ever be."

Smith laughed once again. "Monster? Are you telling me that you feel sorry for this Toysaurus; for this machine? Is it so monstrous that I should take his life, when he never had one to begin with? _I_ was his life. _I_ was his personality. Ghast was nothing more than an extension of me, and since I live then there's nothing to feel sorry about."

"I had thought that even a mechanical being like this would be important to you, seeing as how you risked your life to save your so-called family."

"Them? I never cared about them! They're as lifeless as that Toysaurus and I, if you catch my drift. I used the fiasco at the Palace to test your mettle versus Cloud, and to provide an excuse for where I discovered your identity. I did it to awaken your true power. I never did this for any of them!"

"Then why did you do it?"

"It's very simple, really," the cat answered. "I lacked the means of defeating Cloud. I needed a power greater than he, and so that is why I engineered your creation. I used Ghast to make you so that I would have a weapon with which to destroy His Majesty. If I dare say so, it was lucky I did, because even I couldn't have imagined the plots concocted behind my back. If it weren't for you, who knows whether or not Cloud and Jenova would have been victorious? But that's beside the point…

"If I dare say so, your creation was truly a masterpiece in the making. Ghast – or rather, _I_ – handpicked your pregnant mother from a plethora of candidates. We injected you with Jenova cells during your infantile state, and when you were born we whisked you away to our laboratory for further experimentation. When you finally came of age, Cloud demanded a test run of your powers, and so we brought you back to your hometown, Gongaga. Cloud expected Jenova would have power over you, but you rebelled against her commands and slaughtered the villagers, even your own parents.

"That was when Cloud came to understand the threat you posed to him. He ordered your destruction, and fortunately for me the task of disposing you was given to Ghast. I had him wipe your memory and bring you to me, under the guise of killing you. I got rid of him and convinced you to join my cause. When we returned together to the Imperial Palace and I betrayed you to the Emperor, he recognized that you were the greater of two threats, and so he met my demands in exchange for your capture. Your Jenova cells were awakened and Cloud freed my 'family': the beginnings of my own personal army."

Zephyr almost collapsed from the shock. To think that Smith's betrayal could have run so deep… Hearing him speak was as painful as reading a poorly written fanfic. "That still doesn't explain _why_ you did any of this."

The feline turned to look out the window, answering slowly. "I… I am an Imperial spy that happens to double as an assassin. I was manufactured to deceive and to kill… It is my purpose to kill… The Empire did an admirable job of wasting the population away, but it wasn't nearly effective enough. I'm a nihilist, you see; I believe life to be meaningless… It's easy to be a nihilist when you technically aren't alive. I've hated this Empire for so very long – not for what it represents but for what it fails to accomplish. I sought control of it merely to use it, as a human uses a natural resource. Use it and destroy it – that's the human way. Those who've fulfilled their purpose become irrelevant, and are disposed of.

"Now that the Empire's factories are without a leader, I will seize control and build an army. It would have been easy enough to let Jenova destroy the solar system, but I have bigger plans. I need time… time to manufacture an army large enough to purge the entire universe! We'll devour each planet, using its resources to expand our numbers, like a virus, until every last creature in the universe is destroyed! I'll destroy the virus of life with the virus of unlife… and there's nothing you can do to stop me… I will cleanse this Planet, and all the cosmos, of this pitiful existence you call life! I will create a utopia filled with nothingness! No pain, no sadness, no death… only darkness and space."

Zephyr snickered. "You can't win. Evil is destined to fail, as it always has."

Smith laughed a cold laugh, each breath rasping with a mechanical drone. Now, more than ever, Zephyr could see how truly unlike humans the robot was. "Hope against all odds is a trait that even villains can partake of, and I'll make the most of it. But I'm sure you know all about that, eh, Zephyroth?"

This struck a nerve with Sephiroth's reincarnation. "What did you call me?" he asked, threateningly.

"Zephyroth, Zephyroth!" Smith mocked. "_Zephyroth_!!!"

"Don't call me that. Don't you _dare_ call me that!"

"Why? Are you afraid someone will hear? Are you afraid to admit what you are to the world? Ha hah ha hah ha hah ha hah! It won't be that hard to announce it. I'm sure everyone already knows you're not the master of your own heart; it won't be hard to convince them that you've succumbed."

"Shut up!"

"Promise me one thing, Zephyr. If I should fail in my quest, do make sure that you and your Mother keep the dream alive. I would hate to see all this effort gone to waste, if you catch my drift."

"Silence!"

Smith skipped around the room, chanting a rhythmic phrase. "Jenova and Zephyr sitting in a tree: K-I-L-L-I-N-G."

Zephyr blade flashed, sending the robot's head rolling on the floor next to that of its mechanical puppet. "You sick piece of filth!" he shouted, slashing both of the heads in half for good measure. The reincarnation of Sephiroth dragged himself over to the window and looked at the land, cringing as he did so. Smith was right… He hated this barren wasteland, but more than that he hated the plant life that would replace it. Ever since he'd returned from space he'd realized how much he actually hated the Planet. To Zephyr, it became nothing but an obstacle; an obstruction blocking his view of the beautiful nothingness known as space.

Jenova had seized control of Zephyr, and he knew it. He was finally caught in her web and could not escape. At the centre of the Sun, Zephyr accepted Jenova's power; he accepted her embrace. To Zephyr, who could not remember his real mother, having Jenova so lovingly protect him and fight off his enemies seemed so… right. He could no longer fight the alien presence; he desired it as a newborn babe desires its mommy.

He had to admit he was grateful to Cloud. Had Zephyr launched into space with the White Materia, he was certain now that he wouldn't have had the strength to fight off Jenova. He would have sped off into the cosmos with the Planet's only hope, certainly dooming it and everyone on it. The little hero left in him was happy that Cloud was able to save the Planet.

But still, that little bit of hero grateful to Cloud could not fight the new Zephyr. When he had set out on his journey, Zephyr had intended to find his identity. What his friends had found at the Imperial Palace taught him _what_ he was, but not _who_. He knew who he was now.

He was Zephyr, second son of evil; the second wing of the fallen angel, Jenova. He was the final aspect needed for Reunion; the last component of the Unholy Trinity. Together with Jenova and Sephiroth, he would become evil incarnate, and wreak havoc on the cosmos if destiny so willed it.

He was bound to fail… it was his destiny. Yet, Zephyr could not fight any longer. His strength was expired; his resolve destroyed. He took one last fond look at the light, and disappeared into darkness. And so the cycle would continue… evil would emerge again… heroes would rise to fight…

And peace… would end.

(**Author's Note**: Originally, I had intended for Smith to remain a good guy, but the more I thought about it the more I liked the idea of making him a secretive mastermind, accomplishing good while working for evil. By chapter 21, I knew Smith would become a villain. I designed that chapter so that, after the revelation in this one, his words would take on a completely new meaning. As for Zephyr, I knew he'd turn to Jenova's side since before I even began writing this thing – back when it was an idea in my mind. I probably didn't do a good job preparing you for either, but what is practice for, eh?

Hopefully you'll find the epilogue to be less bleak, because if there's one thing I don't want you to believe it's that a victory was not won by our heroes.) 


	38. Epilogue

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy 7 and all its associated characters, locations, etc… are property of Square Enix.

**Author's Note**: And so we finally come to the end of my story. Thank you so much for reading and supporting me in this endeavour – I only hope my tale was good enough to merit all the waiting I made you all endure. Finally we can cross something off the to-do list. I think I'll include a Who's-Who list of reincarnations, but right now that will have to wait.

Anyways, I hope you like the ending. I'll let you decide for yourself whether it's a happy one or not; whether there's any true victor. Enjoy!

**Peace's End**

**By tfa1**

Epilogue: The Last Laugh

Vincent Valentine had seen better days. Not only was Cloud dead and Lucy hospitalized, but Smith the cat had been found murdered only hours after ROCKSLIDE's return to the Western Continent. The bishop suspected it was Zephyr's doing – the man had disappeared right after they arrived and was now missing. The bishop could only have imagined what was going through the man's head when he committed such an atrocity.

But nothing could be done about it now, and Vincent had other things to worry about. He had come to the Western Continent for one reason only, and all the Wutaian soldiers asking for guidance from the legendary hero didn't seem to understand that. Although the bishop had been on the Continent for hours, only now did he find the time to do what he'd come to do.

The battle-ravaged buildings of Rocket Town had been converted into temporary hospitals to care for Wutai's wounded, including the woman Vincent had promised to protect: Lucy Moon. He hesitantly approached the run-down building where she was supposed to be staying. Although he desperately wanted to enter, Vincent wasn't sure he'd be able to cope with what he found there. He knew destiny's cruel wiles all too well.

Captain Sid Highflier was by his side, having been the only member of ROCKSLIDE not busy dealing with family, needy soldiers, or search parties. Even though the gruff man did his best to calm the anxious bishop, such a feat could not be accomplished, and even through the pale man's stern expression Sid could see the faintest twitches of a fearful tremble.

Together they walked into what had once been a common room for Imperial soldiers, now a recuperating area for wounded warriors on both sides. Now that the Empire was gone, its servitors were more than willing to defect to Wutai's side, including the now-articulate Donna Corn. Apparently the kick to her face had jump-started her deteriorating brain, and now the ex-Imperial general spoke with a refined English accent. Mercifully, the woman, who was now confined to a cot collapsing underneath her weight, was sleeping.

Vincent and Sid silently crept to the back rooms. One of them was occupied by Minister Goh, whose on-the-fly leadership during the surprise Imperial attack had been instrumental in saving Wutaian lives. Vincent would have to thank him later, especially because he'd been leading the search party that found Lucy. Popular opinion held that she'd been kidnapped by retreating Imperial forces after being shot, but then they defected against the Empire and left her for dead while they scrambled away. At least, that was the rumour.

The two men approached Lucy's room and cautiously opened the door. They stepped inside and found that Lucy wasn't there. Only a neatly-made bed, and the female nurse who'd tidied it, remained. Vincent feared the worst.

Before the bishop could work up the willpower to ask what had happened to Lucy, Captain Highflier had begun interrogating the nurse. "Hey!" cried he. "What the #&$ happened to my friend?"

The nurse was as startled to see them as they were to find Lucy missing. "Oh!" she exclaimed, leaping a foot into the air, "I didn't, uh, see you there! Sorry about that." She began fumbling with a stack of papers on the bedside table.

Sid repeated himself. "What the #&$ happened to my friend?"

"Oh, uh… you, uh, might want to sit down." No one did. "It's a shame what happened to her really… We did everything we could, but, uh… Well, long story short – when she took the bullet for that little girl, it, uh, shattered her spine and, well… not to mention the infection…"

Bishop Valentine's life flashed before his eyes. For the second time in his life he'd let someone down – someone he'd promised to defend. "She's… dead?"

"Dead!? Oh, uh, dear me no! She's paralysed from the waist down – never going to walk again, that one. Like I said, it's a shame. She's, uh, due back any minute with the doctor; wheelchair and all. You should, uh, probably sit down 'cause they could still be a while."

Valentine and Highflier didn't have to wait long. As soon as the nurse finished her sentence, the doctor and his patient appeared in the doorway. Lucy was pale and restricted to a wheelchair, but she looked otherwise fine. Upon seeing Vincent Valentine a smile crossed her face that was wider than any the bishop could remember ever having seen.

"Bishop Valentine!" she exclaimed joyously. "I knew you'd make it back!"

Vincent found himself at a loss for words as his brain when numb from a surge of glee, and eventually decided to simply nod while grinning awkwardly. The expression on Sid's face told Vincent that he looked more creepy than happy, but he was sure Lucy would understand. Seeing Vincent Valentine with any sort of smile was a privileged moment, and soon everyone in the room was laughing at his expense.

Apparently their guffawing woke up Donna Corn, and sharing in their joy she broke out into song. Her booming voice sent vibrations throughout the entire house, and with a chuckle Sid yelled through her jubilant chorus. "I guess it's really over! The fat lady is #&$ singing!"

"Over?" Vincent giggled. "It's never over…"

- - -

Jenova, the Calamity from the Skies, stared from the Northern Crater at the spot where Meteor had hung only a day before. 700 years of meticulous planning had gone up in flames. Even now she couldn't believe what had happened; her scheme had seemed foolproof. With Cloud on her side Jenova knew she couldn't fail, but there had always been a part of him that resisted her – fighting to the very end.

That is why she had known that getting rid of Cloud was of paramount importance, because even in his despairing state Cloud would never have let her carry out her schemes. But it wasn't as easy as merely killing him. Not only would she have had to still contend with Vincent Valentine and his posse, but the Strife boy was like a cockroach. He wouldn't stay dead. The man had fallen off a cliff, gotten stabbed through the abdomen, and suffered Mako poisoning only to return each time and foil Jenova's plan. She had needed to get rid of Cloud without killing him, and so Jenova concocted a plot to send him on the ultimate fool's errand, straight into the Sun. But again she had underestimated him. Somehow, some way, he'd found himself again. The heroic piece of Cloud that Jenova could never completely kill was revived at the last second, in time to thwart her once again. But it was a hollow victory for her enemies. Cloud was dead. Sephiroth was reborn. Jenova had had the last laugh.

So then… why did she feel so unhappy? Why could she not form a smile on her demented face? Could it have been because of Cloud? Through the psychic link they had shared she had received his final words to her, but that's all they were: words.

Harmless.

She recalled his message as clearly as if it had been engraved on the rubble beneath her:

/ Like a puppet in a show, so too did I serve your plot. I became a slave; a slave to the despair you spread to me; a slave like Sephiroth before me. I served your purpose, performed your plot, and let you control my life. You always stayed above the stage, where no one could see you, and made me do all the work. But now my strings are cut, and you are too far away to have any real power. This show is mine now; I will take this plot where I want to and shove it where it belongs. _I_ am in control now. _I_ have done the work and carved my own path through destiny. It was _me_!

/ But you… you are still playing your role the same as you did on day 1. Destiny controls you as it no longer controls me. That is how I know you will lose; it is the destiny of evil to lose. Jenova, you'll never change, and neither will your destiny. Rest assured, my dear; I will be reborn. Try and try as you might, I will return one day, and thwart your next plan as I have thwarted so many. You are bound to fail at everything you do because I will never, ever, _ever_ let up, and I know that frightens you.

/ Wait, what am I saying? Are you trying to convince me you have feelings too? Ha hah ha! Stop acting as if you were afraid. There's no need to act as though you're angry, either. Because, Jenova, you are… /

The Calamity from the Skies dragged her hollow soul into her hollow cave and lay there, listening as the words of the past echoed in her present. And as she did so, Jenova could have sworn that she heard the cackles of crazy Cloud, resonating from the shadows…

/ … Because, you are… destiny's puppet. /

THE END  
(finally)


	39. Who's Who List of Reincarnations

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy 7 and all its associated characters, locations, etc… are property of Square Enix.

**Author's Note**: I'd intended to add this a long time ago, but it continually slipped my mind until now. Anyways, for those who still care, here's a list of who is whose reincarnation.

**Peace's End**

**By tfa1**

Who's Who List of Reincarnations

Chapter 1:  
Zephyr Locke, a.k.a. Nimbus – Sephiroth  
Smith the robotic cat – Cait Sith

Chapter 2:  
Taefis Locke – Tifa Lockhart and Aeris Gainsborough  
Zang Locke – Master Zangan  
Bart "the Wall" Rockslide – Barret Wallace

Chapter 3:  
Captain Sid Highflier – Cid Highwind  
Emperor Cloud Strife – Cloud Strife

Chapter 5:  
Jenova – Jenova (I had intended to make it clear that the Emperor's mural of Jenova-SYTHESIS was actually the Calamity in disguise, but I never got around to it. Well, now you know!)  
Professor Joseph – Professor Hojo (Joseph - Joe - Hojo – it was ambiguous but I'm sure you must have all known who he was.)

Chapter 7:  
Doctor Bugen – Bugenhagen  
Bugen's Cat – Seto (I sort of… forgot about him after Nanaki entered the picture. For future reference I've decided to name him Otis.)

Chapter 10:  
Imperial Guard Scorpion – Shinra Guard Scorpion

Chapter 12:  
Imperial Guard Zax – Zack

Chapter 13:  
Professor Ghast – Professor Gast

Chapter 15:  
Bishop Vincent Valentine – Vincent Valentine  
Father Sufur – Rufus Shinra  
Brother Red – Reno  
Brother Rudy – Rude  
Brother Tson – Tseng  
Sister Elle – Elena

Chapter 17:  
Mr. Shang – President Shinra  
Crimson – Scarlet  
Dagger – Heidegger  
The Palm – Palmer  
Doctor Reed – Reeve Tuesti

Chapter 19:  
Lady Yuffie VII – Yuffie Kisaragi  
Sir/General/Minister Goh – Godo Kisaragi  
Imperial Commander Jessica "Wedgie" Biggs – Biggs, Wedge, and Jesse  
Lucy Moon, Attorney at Law – Doctor Lucrecia Crescent

Chapter 20:  
Barmaid Sierra – Shera

Chapter 21:  
Chief Nanaki – Nanaki, a.k.a. Red XIII

Chapter 22:  
Dynamite Leone – Dyne  
Marie Rockslide, formerly Marie Leone – Marlene Wallace

Chapter 31:  
Lifeform H-N/A – Lifeform Hojo NA, final form of the Hojo battle

Chapter 32:  
Imperial General Donna Corn – Don Corneo


End file.
